Herodotus is referred to as the 'father of history' - and he was that, and also much more besides: the father of comparative ethnography, and the father of cultural history of civilisations among others .... But much of his life remains a mystery, and there are a ton more things to be discussed about his superb work, The Histories. Join translator Tom Holland and Herodotus expert Professor Paul Cartledge in conversation about this enigmatic figure and what we can learn about history from his writings.

Paul Cartledge is A.G. Leventis Senior Research Fellow of Clare College and emeritus AG Leventis Professor of Greek Culture at Cambridge. His many books on ancient Greek history include The Spartans: An epic history (pb 2003) and Ancient Greece: A Very Short Introduction (2009, pb 2011); his latest is Democracy: A Life (2016). He wrote the introduction and notes to accompany Tom Holland's new translation of Herodotus's Histories (Penguin 2013, pb 2014).

Tom Holland is the author of Rubicon, Persian Fire, Millennium and In The Shadow Of The Sword, and the translator for Penguin Classics of Herodotus’ Histories. His most recent work of history, Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the House of Caesar was published last year. His biography of Æthelstan, the first in Penguin’s monarchs of Britain series, was published last summer. He is the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Making History, and of TV documentaries on topics that have ranged from ISIS to dinosaurs.

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