Many consider him the father of history; others prefer to call him the father of lies. Whatever your perception of Herodotus' work, the truth is that Herodotus initiated a new way of writing history in which human psychology occupies a fundamental place. He was the first historian to truly consider the reasons why things happen and not limit his narrative to just the facts. His book The Histories highlights all the distinctive features he employs through the description of the facts and the intrinsic analysis he includes in his plot on controversial topics such as the definition of what heroes really are. Indeed, book 7 of the Histories reveals Herodotus' astonishing and unique vision of heroism. While describing the events that occurred during the war between the Persians and the Greeks, Herodotus presents the qualities and attributes that, in his understanding, make a true hero. In his book, Herodotus talks about Xerxes, the king of the Persians who led the offensive against the Greeks, and Leonidas, the king of the Spartans who fought with honor and courage against the Persians. According to Herodotus, although Xerxes won the war with great advantage, Leonidas was the true hero of the story because he faced the enemy with great passion, humility, strength and courage. Herodotus' main conceptualization of a hero is that he is someone who follows the traits of culture. Xerxes, who was the king of Persia and who started the war between the Persians and the Greeks, does not fit into this characterization. Indeed, Herodotus makes a special observation about Xerxes' violations of Persian culture. He includes in his tale Xerxes' dramatic request to stick Leonidas' head on a pole... middle of paper... great admiration for the Spartans. His admiration is such that he states that “…the Spartans fought a battle to remember!” (193) and also knew the names of all 300 men who fought with Leonidas against the Persians. But in addition to his admiration for all Spartans and Spartans in general, he had a particular interest in Leonidas, because he saw him as a hero. Leonidas embodies all the attributes that Herodotus looked for in a person to recognize him as a hero. He was passionate, humble, strong and incredibly courageous. He cared about all the Spartans and the people chosen to fight with him against the Persians. Leonidas was a Spartan who changed the meaning of the word heroism and who will remain in history as one of the most noble and courageous men humanity has ever had. Works Cited Herodotus. The Stories. New York: Norton, 1992.