An Account of Egypt

Ancient Roman orator Cicero referred to Herodotus as “the father of history.” The Greek writer was the first author to systematically investigate and analyze historic events in great detail. “An Account of Egypt” is a recollection of the great Greek’s epic journey through the Nile River Kingdom. Within these pages, you’ll find the customs, events, culture, rituals, and daily life that captured and intrigued his curious and nimble mind. Written in the fifth century BC, Herodotus’s richly descriptive and captivating account of life in ancient Egypt reads like a lengthy missive from another time and place. It’s an exotic, intoxicating, spellbinding, and haunting ode to a country of ancient splendour and the people who lived there.

The 1890 translation by English scholar George Campbell Macaulay is the definitive version of Herodotus’s classic. Herodotus’s prose can be dense and his sentences can be wordy and complex, but the penetrating insights within reward the diligent reader tenfold. This book has survived thousands of years for a reason. Each subsequent generation delights in discovering for the first time the ancient Egyptian system of governance, its history, religious beliefs, and daily routines. The customs and ways of an ancient and unique people have been preserved and handed down to posterity courtesy of Herodotus’s unwavering hand and clear vision.