Herodotus and the Philosophy of Empire

This rich and comprehensive analysis beautifully captures the political urgency of Herodotus' insights.

~Norma Thompson, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Senior Lecturer in the Humanities, Yale University

This is a lucid, learned and creative reading of Herodotus’ comparative analyses of Egyptian, Scythian, Persian, and Spartan regimes. This book will inspire not only a return to Herodotus’ text, but also a reflection on contemporary American debates on ‘human imperialism’ and pragmatic security.

~Janet Coleman, Professor of Ancient & Political Thought, London School of Economics and Political Science

This original study makes the provocative case that Herodotus, to an even greater degree than Thucydides, illuminates the permanent grounds of democracy’s greatest spiritual strengths and most dangerous imperial temptations. Herodotus is shown to be not merely the proverbial father of history but, what is more, the fertile father of democratic theory, especially in its international dimensions.

~Thomas L. Pangle, Joe R. Long Chair in Democratic Studies, University of Texas

Ann Ward’s Herodotus and the Philosophy of Empire stands out as perhaps the most ambitious of recent works on Herodotus.

~Elliot Bartky, The Review of Politics