Book 1

This is the publication of the inquiry of Herodotus of Halicarnassus, published so that the memory of past events may not be blotted out from among men by time, nor the great and marvelous deeds—some displayed by Greeks and some by barbarians|In the ancient Greek context, 'barbarian' (barbaros) was a neutral term referring to anyone who did not speak Greek, primarily the Persians and their allies.—become forgotten; and especially for what reason they waged war against each other.

5 The learned among the Persians say that the Phoenicians were the cause of the dispute. These people, having arrived from the sea called the Erythraean original: "Erythrēs thalassēs"; this refers to the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean to this sea The Mediterranean, and having settled in this region which they still inhabit, 10 immediately set out on long voyages. Carrying Egyptian and Assyrian cargo, they traveled to many places, including the city of Argos. At that time, Argos excelled in all respects among the people in the land now called Greece. When the Phoenicians arrived at this 15 Argos, they began to sell original: "diatithesthai"; literally to arrange or dispose of goods for sale their cargo. On the fifth or sixth day after they arrived, when almost all their goods had been sold, a number of women came down to the sea, including the king's daughter; her name was Io, daughter of Inachus, which is the same name the Greeks use. 20 As these women stood by the stern of the ship buying the wares they most desired, the Phoenicians, encouraging one another, rushed upon them. Most of the women escaped, but Io and others were snatched away. 25 Throwing them into the ship, the Phoenicians sailed away for Egypt. This is how the Persians say Io came to Egypt—not as the Greeks tell it—and they claim this was the first of the crimes...

11. "another place" original: "allē" according to the Paris Manuscript 1405. The scholar Schäfer suggests: "another land" original: "allē chōrē".