Pro tempore, No. 20, 2025.
Review article
Myth as Foundation and Myth as Argument: The Political Role of Myth in the Works of Herodotus and Thucydides (Summary)
Ognjen Tošović
Abstract
One of the main meaning of the concept of “myth”, which derives from the Greek word μῦθος, is its opposition to the concept of “history” as a truthful and research- based narrative about the past. However, that meaning was not applied to the concept of “myth” from the start. In the works of Homer and early archaic poets “myth” signified “speech”, and precisely that type of speech which is held from a position of authority and power and which implies the truthfulness of its content. The changes in the meaning of the concept of “myth” happened gradually, alongside changes in the attitude Hellenic society had toward its past. The changes in the meaning of “myth” culminated in the works of first Hellenic historians—Herodotus and Thucydides—who based their narratives about the past on research and distinctive methodological principles. Even though both historians criticised a noncritical approach to studying the past, they also recognized that non-scientific, from their epistemological positions mythical narratives about the past, had an important role to play in the context of the formation of collective identity in certain communities, as well as in the context of the political debates present in their works. This paper will examine the role of mythical narratives in communities which cherish and perpetuate them, as well as the attitude of historians toward mythical narratives and their place in Herodotus’ and Thucydides’ works in general.
Keywords
Herodotus; Thucydides; myth; politics; ancient historiography
Hrčak ID:
349310
URI
Publication date:
20.9.2025.
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