Great Lives

Matthew Parris introduces a sparky discussion about a writer whose achievements include a nine book account of a war between east and west - the Persian invasions of Greece. Justin Marozzi proposes Herodotus not just as an historian, but as geographer, explorer, correspondent, the world's first travel writer, and an irrepressible story teller. Backing him up is Professor Edith Hall, who sees Herodotus as the author of a magnificent work of prose. However, Matthew Parris wrestles with whether he was historian or hack