Forschungen zur Alten Geschichte

The German historian Eduard Meyer’s two-volume work on ancient history was first published in 1892-1899. More than any other historian of his time Meyer (1855-1930) insisted on considering world history as a whole, even in the classical period, rather than adopting the traditional subdivision into Roman, Greek and Oriental categories. He was also convinced that a combination of philological and historical approaches was needed for an accurate interpretation of history. In Volume 1 (1892) Meyer gives a thorough account of the Pelasgian people in places such as Attica, the island of Lemnos and Thessaly. He also develops a theoretical framework within which to interpret the question of the history of the Pelasgians and the origin of the Ionians. Meyer pays particular attention to the chronology of the work of the Greek historian Herodotus, placing it in the more general context of Greek historiography and chronology.