《历史》与命运:希罗多德命运观初探

History and Fate:Research on the Fate Ideology of Herodutus

对人类命运的关注是希罗多德《历史》最突出的主题。这个主题的形成与他所处的时代氛围密切相关。古希腊自然哲学直接启发了希罗多德对命运的思考,史诗和悲剧更进一步促成了他对人类命运的关注和同情。希罗多德敏锐地把握到了命运的变化无常,作品着力于人物命运的书写,传达了历史的变易意识。命运对希罗多德而言,既是变化不定、不可把握和预测的,又是命中注定、无从逃脱的,一切生灭变化导致了命运的无常,命运本身就是变化,就是无常,无常是命运的永恒特性。他对命运的思考既充满了哲学的深邃,又力显史家情怀,诗家笔法。这使得他的《历史》历久弥新,吸引着一代代的史家和普通读者。因为命运不拘何时,总是牵动着人心,人类面对的根本问题从未改变。

The most prominent theme of the book History, written by Heordotus, is its focus on the fate of humans, whose formation has something to do with the atmosphere where the author lived. It is ancient Greek natural philosophy that directly inspires Herodotus＇ thinking of fate. What＇s more, epics and tragedies help to bring about his focus and pity on the fate of humans. Herodotus sharply grasps the changeability of fate, whose works focus on the description of characters＇ fates and convey the changing consciousness of history. Fate, to Herodotus, is not only changeable and inscrutable, but also predestined. The changeability, attributing to the birth and death of all livings in the world, is a permanent feature of fate. His idea towards fate is full of philosopher＇ s thought, historian＇ s feelings, and poet＇ s writing style, which makes the book attract lots of historians and ordinary readers generation after generation. Due to its changeability, fate constantly attracts our attention. The basic problem humans are faced with never changes.