4 h 12 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What does Egypt look like through the eyes of a Greek traveler who never stops asking questions?
In An Account of Egypt, the second book of his Histories, Herodotus pauses before the Persian king Cambyses marches on Egypt. He wants Greek readers to understand the country at stake. His tour follows the Nile into a world of yearly floods, sacred animals, pyramid builders, and customs that challenge his expectations.
Herodotus draws on his travels and on what priests and guides tell him. He describes embalming, explores the land shaped by the river, and follows stories of kings from Min to Amasis. Throughout, his curiosity invites a second question: what does he see for himself, and what does he accept from others?
What you’ll discover
- A river shapes Egypt Follow the Nile as Herodotus explains how its mud builds the Delta.
- Customs through Greek eyes Encounter women trading and men weaving in a society that surprises its visitor.
- Sacred animals and gods Explore Egyptian worship and the practices Herodotus believes the Greeks learn from Egypt.
- Embalmers and great tombs Read his descriptions of burial customs, embalming, and the builders of the pyramids.
- Stories worth questioning Weigh firsthand observations against accounts from priests as history meets inherited stories.
Who will love it
For readers who love travel writing, ancient history, or a curious storyteller with a sharp eye. It suits anyone drawn to Egypt, its sacred animals, pyramids, kings and the yearly flood of the Nile.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A Greek goes to see Egypt
- Egypt is a gift of the river
- The Egyptians do everything the other way
- Gods, animals and what Greeks borrowed
- Death, embalming and the great tombs
- Kings, stories and how far to trust him
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An Account of Egypt
by Herodotus
Herodotus explores the Nile's marvels, weighing what he sees against what priests and guides tell him.
Challenging2–5 hours to readEnglish
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In short
An Account of Egypt is the second book of the Histories, written by Herodotus in the fifth century BC. He was a Greek from Halicarnassus, on the coast of Asia Minor, and he set out to explain how Greeks and Persians came to fight.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A Greek goes to see Egypt
Herodotus writes as a man who has traveled. He says he went up the Nile as far as Elephantine, near the first cataract at the southern edge of Egypt. He also visited Memphis, Heliopolis and Thebes, where he spoke with priests. These talks give the book its backbone, and he often names who told him what.
He opens with the Persian king Cambyses, who is preparing to invade. This gives Herodotus his reason to describe the country. A reader in Athens or Ionia would have known Egypt only through rumor and trade goods. Herodotus wants to show them a land older than their own cities.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 7 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 2 h 45 min
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Herodotus. An Account of Egypt. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/an-account-of-egypt.
Herodotus. (2026). An account of Egypt. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/an-account-of-egypt (Original work published ca. 440 B.C.E.)
Herodotus. An Account of Egypt. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/an-account-of-egypt.
@book{herodotus2026account,
author = {Herodotus},
title = {An Account of Egypt},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/an-account-of-egypt},
note = {First published ca. 440 BCE}
}
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What is An Account of Egypt about?
It is Book II of the Histories by Herodotus. He describes Egypt's geography, the Nile flood, customs, religion, embalming, pyramids and kings as he saw them and as priests told them to him.
Did Herodotus really visit Egypt?
He says so, and most scholars accept that he did. He names places he reached, such as Memphis, Heliopolis, Thebes and Elephantine, and he separates what he saw himself from what others told him.
Is Herodotus accurate about Egypt?
In part. Modern historians find errors in his dates and some tall tales from hearsay. But archaeology has confirmed many of his descriptions, and he remains a valuable early source on Egyptian life.
The author
Herodotus
483 BC–424 BC · Ancient Greek historian
Herodotus was a Greek historian of the fifth century BC, honored as the "Father of History" for his sweeping account of the Greco-Persian Wars and the peoples, customs, and marvels of the ancient world.
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