"They Say": A Study of the Use and Function of Source-attributing Words in the 'Histories' of Herodotos

Abstract

The repeated statements by Herodotos that "the Greeks (or Egyptians or Persians) say" or "it is said" are among the most notable features of the 'Histories'. These source citations generally involve phrases containing the verbs λέγω and ϕημί. In this study these citation phrases are collectively termed "source-attributing words". The function of these source-attributing words has received scant attention. It has been maintained, however, that when Herodotos states "the Athenians say" he is suggesting to the audience that it is the people cited who are responsible for the accuracy of the information, not Herodotos. In this way the source citations act as a disclaimer, distancing Herodotos from the information he records. This study advances a different view of source-attributing words by means of an examination of a substantial number of the passages in which they occur. I argue that Herodotos' frequent use of source-attributing words was, in part, a methodological response resulting from his reliance upon oral traditions as source material and his intellectual position on the cusp between oral and written methods of presentation.