<Articles>Greek Image of World-History : Its Formation and Transmission to the Latin West

Fujinawa Kenzo

doi:10.14989/shirin_42_500

In European image of world-history, history develops from Oriental Empires to Greece and Rome, and then to medieval and modern Europe. Outside of Europe we cannot find such image of history. For example, in the Far East the Japanese historians before the acception of European historical science did not connect the history of Japan with that of China, inspite of the fact that Japanese history had begun under the cultural influence of China. In this paper the writer tries to explain, why in Europe such image of history has been formed. The image derives is origin from the ancient Greek historians. In Greece, history as a science begins not with the narration of Greek history, but with the description of foreign countries. From this origin onward, Greek historical science has as a rule a keen interest in world-geography and foreign powers. When Persian, Macedonian and Roman powers in turn threatened Greek independence, some contemporary historians chose these powers as their main themes. In the first century B. C., when Greek independence was utterly lost, some Greek historians compiled world-histories, relying on the main historians up to their times, and a Roman historian named Pompeius Trogus also wrote a world-history in Latin, copying one or a few Greek models. In these works, especially in the last, European image of world-history reaching Roman Empire is clearly seen. The Latin Fathers and the medieval Christians regarded the Epitome of Trogus' work by Justinus as the most authoritative book of secular history. Thus Greek image of world-history has been naturally accepted by medieval and modern European historians.

<Articles>Greek Image of World-History : Its Formation and Transmission to the Latin West

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