Divided into nine books named after the Muses, The History Of Herodotus traces the growth of the Persian empire, starting with Croesus of Lydia, though Cyrus and Xerxes. The pivotal event of the History is the Battle of Marathon (490 BCE), where the Persians were defeated by the Greeks. A decade later the Persians, led by Xerxes, returned but were decisively defeated at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BCE. Beyond the historical narrative, Herodotus is one of the primary sources for information on ancient lands and peoples, including anthropological, geographical, and other information.
