Truth, Truthfulness, and the Beginnings of Ancient Greek Historiography: A Critical Response to B. Williams

Julia Kindt (University of Sydney) | 4:00pm, 31 August, 2023 AEST

Abstract:

My presentation offers a critical evaluation of the way in which Herodotus and Thucydides are presented in B. William’s influential book Truth and Truthfulness (Princeton 2004). A particular focus will be on his claims about ancient Greek historiography and the place of ancient Greek thought in the early history of ideas. The first part consists of a critical appraisal of William’s views on Herodotus and Thucydides in the light of current classical scholarship on early Greek historiography. The second part makes the case for why Herodotus rather than Thucydides would have served as the better example for Williams to explore the historical conditions and intellectual milieu that led to the emergence of notions of ruth and truthfulness as a problem in the Western historiographic tradition.

About the Presenter:

Julia Kindt is Professor of Ancient History in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Sydney and an ARC Future Fellow (2028-22). Her publications include Rethinking Greek Religion (Cambridge, 2012), Revisiting Delphi: Religion and Storytelling in Ancient Greece (Cambridge, 2016) and, most recently, The Local Horizon of Ancient Greek Religion (Cambridge 2023, jointly edited with H. Beck), She is a member of the editorial board of The Journal of Ancient History, Antichthon, and Sydney University Press, and Senior editor of the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religions (ORE).

Where
CCANESA Boardroom – Level 4, Madsen Building

The seminar will also be live streamed on Zoom.

The Zoom link – Details of each Zoom session will be posted out approximately one week prior to the presentation date.

When
31 August 4:00pm (AEST/UTC+10)

Click here to register for Classics and Ancient History seminars

For further contact: ccanesa.general@sydney.edu.au or benjamin.brown@sydney.edu.au

The Department of Classics and Ancient History is part of the School of Humanities

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