The histories of Herodotus are fascinating. In Book IV, chapters 179-195, Herodotus describes various peoples living in Africa along a sand ridge reaching from Egyptian Thebes in the East to the Pillars of Hercules (two promontories on either side of the Strait of Gibraltar) in the Northwest. He considers all these peoples to be Libyans, yet each group with its own name and culture, which may or may not have much in common with the Libyans in general. He tells of the land, the animals, the customs, the diets, and even the hairstyles of the different peoples. He also hints at interesting connections between these peoples and the Greeks.
One of the great things about Herodotus is that he does not claim that everything he writes is true, only that what he writes is what is said in these various countries, many of which he visited on his travels. Herodotus admits when he cannot say things with certainty. Occasionally, the account given by one country contradicts that given by another, and Herodotus points this out, giving both versions of the story, and usually without passing judgment, even when one story seems terribly far-fetched. Herodotus sometimes gives an opinion of which account he thinks is more plausible, but he points out that it is only his opinion. He seems fair in his presentation of the various accounts.
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