Herodotus (c. 484-425 BC)

By distinguishing verifiable fact from mythological legend, Herodotus essentially invented historical inquiry. Earlier accounts of the past relied on epic poetry and oral tradition, blending divine intervention with human action without attempting separation.

His extensive travels throughout the known world yielded eyewitness interviews and physical evidence, which he compiled into The Histories - an investigation of the Persian Wars based on examination rather than acceptance. Cicero honored him as History's Father while critics dismissed him as Lies' Father, both reacting to his controversial methodology: recording testimony even when it contradicted conventional wisdom. His narrative remains antiquity's most vivid historical account.