How to Write History (Ancient Greek: Πῶς δεῖ ἱστορίαν συγγράφειν) is the title of a study by the classical Syrian writer Lucian, which may be considered the only work on the theory of history-writing to survive from antiquity.

Themes

The first part of Lucian’s essay involved a critical attack on contemporary historians. Lucian maintained that they confused history with panegyric, overloaded it with irrelevant details, and weighed it down with overblown rhetoric.

Lucian recommended instead the virtues of clear narration, and the valorisation of truth. He argued that the historian should write for all times, as “a free man, fearless, incorruptible, the friend of truth”; and held up the work of Thucydides as the legislative template for all subsequent historians. He argued that the "historian's sole task is to tell the tale as it happened" which is latter reflected in works of von Ranke among others.

Later influence

  • Edward Gibbon, who wrote of “the inimitable Lucian”, owned the 1776 edition of Quomodo Historia Conscribenda Sit (Oxford)

See also

Further reading

  • Free, Alexander (2015). Geschichtsschreibung als Paideia. Lukians Schrift "Wie man Geschichte schreiben soll" in der Bildungskultur des 2. Jhs. n. Chr. [Historiography as paideia. Lucian's treatise ‘How to Write History’ in the educational culture of the 2nd century AD.]. Vestigia, vol. 69. Munich: Beck, ISBN 978-3-406-68606-1.
  • Porod, Robert (2013). Lukians Schrift "Wie man Geschichte schreiben soll". Kommentar und Interpretation [Lucian's treatise ‘How to Write History’. Commentary and Interpretation]. Vienna: Phoibos, ISBN 978-3-85161-090-1.

External links

  • "The Way to Write History". . Vol. II. Translated by Fowler, H. W.; Fowler, F. G. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1905. pp. -136 – via Internet Archive.
  • . LUCIAN. Vol. VI. Translated by K. Kilburn. London and Cambridge, Massachusetts: William Heinemann Ltd. and Harvard University Press. 1959. pp. 1–73 – via Internet Archive.
  • at the Internet Sacred Text Archive