Chapter 3 documents

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For my Chapter 3 documents, I read Herodotus’ recollections on Egyptian and Persian culture. Herodotus is one of the first recorded documenters of written history as we know it. He traveled widely, thereby gaining a broader global perspective. 

I was surprised by how structured Herodotus writing was. It is clear, concise and easy to read. He often takes advantage of creating lists to elaborate on the two cultures different customs. I didn’t know that Persians celebrated birthdays in such a grandiose manner as he described. I was also amused at Herodotus’ mention that “Persians say that the Greeks leave a meal hungry because they have nothing worth mentioning served to them as an extra after the meats and that if the Greeks did have extra courses served, they would never stop eating” (139). This made me laugh because my parents, who are from India, often still jokingly make similar comments and I can’t help but wonder if there is some overlap between Persian and Indian cultures given their geographic proximity. 


In reading Herodotus reflections on Egypt, I especially loved his mention of women and of their involvement in Egyptian society. Not only did it feel contemporary and relatable of him to make these observations, but it was also interesting to read about how Egyptian women had a more active and involved role in their society. It’s also interesting that he mentions women couldn’t serve as priests for either gods or goddesses, and immediately mentions that men could…almost makes me wonder if he was an ancient feminist!

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