The world's first historian was Greek storyteller Herodotus of Helicarnassus. He was a wonderful storyteller, but some critics (from Thucydides to modern historians) have bemoaned his inaccuracies, leading some to call him instead, "The Father of Lies."
What led Herodotus to research and record historical events in such detail, traveling long distances to obtain first-hand accounts of events, then retelling them as stories? It's Herodotus that we owe the credit for the Spartan Dienekes' great line at Thermopylae, "So much the better, then we will fight in the shade."
Because Herodotus enjoyed entertaining others with his stories, he related well-chronicled events as well as hearsay, gossip, and outlandish fables, but even the latter often had some basis in truth. Here a team of explorers recently found evidence that Herodotus' stories of gold-digging ants were ac tually marmots that uncovered gold by the incessant burrowing in the Himalayas. For another Herodotus vindication, check out Herodotus and the Ancient Etruscans.
Wikipedia: Battle of Thermopylae
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