This companion, keyed to the Penguin translation of Aubrey de Selincourt, is to those parts of Herodotus' history that tell the story of Marathon, Salamis and the final Persian retreat: books 7-9 with parts of books 5 and 6. The introduction concentrates on the political and literary background to Herodotus' writing, and includes a brief historical account of the whole work. The commentary which forms the bulk of the book explains differences of interpretation and constantly reveals the bias and intent of Herodotus' sources. There is frequent emphasis on the importance of the literary tradition, and references to the scholarly literature enable readers to take their study further.

Stephen Usher was Senior Lecturer in Classics, Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, University of London