ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses centuries, mapping the developments in historical writing from the time of the ancient Greeks to late antiquity. It examines the emergence of historical writing in ancient Greece with the contributions of Herodotus and Thucydides. The chapter covers the development of historical writing in the Hellenic and Roman periods. It explores the differences in approaches to historical theory, method and practice introduced by Christianity in Europe. This shift in power and influence leads directly to histories which not only seek to understand the past in the present but also to suggest a millennial concern with the future. These early interventions from Christian historians set up a predominance of history writing that is concerned with prophecy and portents. The writings of Thucydides lacked the diversity and the sheer excitement of Herodotus. Thucydides took licence with evidence, reporting what the speakers 'needed to say', but he was quite open about his processes and kept to the 'gist' of the actualite.
