First Impressions of the Persian Other in Aeschylus and Herodotus

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the characterization and representation of the Eastern Other for a Greek audience in the introductory sections of two works of 5th century Greek literature. In particular, I will examine the parodos of Aeschylus’ Persae and Book 1 of Herodotus’ Histories. As these two sections serve as the beginnings of each work, the audience crafts their first impressions of the non-Greek Other based solely on what the author has written and how they frame these peoples in the narrative. It is my belief that these first impressions must be carefully considered in order to gauge the author’s intent for the role(s) that their “barbaric” characters play. Overall, this project demonstrates that Aeschylus’ and Herodotus’ portrayals of the Persians and Lydians were not static and stereotypical representations of the non-Greek Other.