Theophrastus’ Appraisal of Thucydides and Herodotus (Cicero, Orator 39 = Fr. 697 Fhs&g): The Character of Cicero’s Testimony

Abstract

This paper concerns a short reference to Theophrastus in Cicero’s Orator, in which Herodotus’ and Thucydides’ contribution to historiography is evaluated. The focus is on the character and accuracy of the testimony, which until now have not been examined in detail. Arguments are put forward for the thesis that the sentence in question is Cicero’s attempt at a translation of Theophrastus’ words. Overall, the paper is a step forward in our knowledge about this fragment in particular, but also in terms of methods that can be applied to the study of historical and philosophical fragments in general.