Textual Rivals studies some of the most debated issues in Herodotean
scholarship. One such is Herodotus' self-presentation: the
conspicuousness of his authorial persona is one of the most remarkable
features of his Histories. So frequently does he interject
first-person comments into the narrative that Herodotus at times almost
becomes a character within his own text.
Important issues are tied to Herodotus' self-presentation. First is the
narrator's relationship to truth: to what extent does he expect readers
to trust his narrative? While judgments regarding Herodotus' overall
veracity have often been damning, scholars have begun to concentrate on
how Herodotus presents his truthfulness. Second is the precise genre
Herodotus means to create with his work. Excluding the anachronistic
term historian, exactly what would Herodotus have called himself, as
author? Third is the presence of "self-referential" characters, whose
actions often mirror Herodotus' as narrator/researcher, in the
Histories.
David Branscome's investigative text points to the rival inquirers in
Herodotus' Histories as a key to unraveling these interpretive
problems. The rival inquirers are self-referential characters Herodotus
uses to further his authorial self-presentation. Through the contrast
Herodotus draws between his own exacting standards as an inquirer and
the often questionable standards of those rivals, Herodotus underlines
just how truthful readers should find his own work.
Textual Rivals speaks to those interested in Greek history and
historiography, narratology, and ethnography. Those in the growing ranks
of Herodotus fans will find much to invite and intrigue.
