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Reading schedule · Grades 9–12

Herodotus' Histories in 5 Weeks: A Reading Schedule

A five-week plan for reading The Histories by Herodotus, one section a week. Each week gives the reading, a short summary of what happens, three discussion questions and the escape room that goes with it. For grades 9–12, in class or at home.

Pacing

Rhetoric-stage students (grades 9–12) can read a section a week independently, with time to annotate and to write. The questions suit seminar discussion or short written responses, and the escape room makes a quick check on the reading before the conversation or the essay. Some sections are much longer than others, so look ahead and give the heaviest weeks extra time.

Each week ends with an escape room on that week's reading: seven self-checking locks that run in any browser, with no logins, and progress is saved, so a room can be finished another day. Every room has free taster locks to try, and members can open them all.

Print this schedule Escape rooms on Herodotus' Histories

Week 1: Books 1–2

Read: Books 1–2

Herodotus begins with the old quarrels between East and West, then tells of Croesus of Lydia, who meets Solon, tests the oracles and loses Sardis to Cyrus of Persia. Book 2 is Herodotus' own tour of Egypt, from the Nile to the pyramids.

Discussion questions

1. Why does Solon refuse to call Croesus the happiest of men?
2. How does the oracle's answer mislead Croesus?
3. Why does Herodotus give a whole book to Egypt?

Escape room: Gold and Oracles (lockedlessons.com/rooms/herodotus-books-1-2/)

Week 2: Books 3–4

Read: Books 3–4

Cambyses conquers Egypt, and a false Smerdis seizes the Persian throne until seven conspirators overthrow him and debate how Persia should be ruled. Polycrates of Samos tries to escape his good luck by throwing away his ring, and Darius marches against the Scythians.

Discussion questions

1. Which form of government wins the debate, and why?
2. What is the lesson of Polycrates' ring?
3. How do the Scythians deal with Darius' invasion?

Escape room: The Seven Conspirators (lockedlessons.com/rooms/herodotus-books-3-4/)

Week 3: Books 5–6

Read: Books 5–6

The Greek cities of Ionia revolt against Persia, and Aristagoras of Miletus seeks help in Sparta and Athens. Sardis is burned, Miletus falls, the Spartan kings quarrel, and the Athenians meet the Persians at Marathon.

Discussion questions

1. Why does Aristagoras fail in Sparta but succeed in Athens?
2. Why does the burning of Sardis matter so much to the Persians?
3. How do the Athenians win at Marathon?

Escape room: The Burning of Sardis (lockedlessons.com/rooms/herodotus-books-5-6/)

Week 4: Book 7

Read: Book 7

Xerxes decides to invade Greece, bridges the Hellespont, cuts a canal through Athos and reviews his vast army at Abydos. Athens receives an oracle, and Leonidas and his men make their stand at Thermopylae.

Discussion questions

1. Why does Xerxes decide to invade?
2. What does the review at Abydos show about him?
3. Why do Leonidas and his men stay to fight at Thermopylae?

Escape room: The Hot Gates (lockedlessons.com/rooms/herodotus-book-7/)

Week 5: Books 8–9

Read: Books 8–9

The fleets fight at Artemisium, the Persians burn Athens, and Themistocles uses a trick to bring on the sea battle at Salamis. Xerxes retreats, the Greeks win at Plataea and Mycale, and Herodotus ends with one last story.

Discussion questions

1. How does Themistocles bring about the battle at Salamis?
2. Why do the Greeks win against so large an army?
3. What does Herodotus seem to think brings the great low?

Escape room: Ships at Salamis (lockedlessons.com/rooms/herodotus-books-8-9/)

Nothing in this schedule is quoted from any translation, so it can sit beside whichever one your class reads.