How is the way we study history different than how Herodotus studied history?

Answer 1

Several
Aside from books, the writen word, and oral history, we have many more sources. History in the time of Herodotus was mostly recanted stories and writings, but only those in his near or where he traveled.
Now we have the internet and can read the history of other countries right off their text books on the other side of the world. The are more books and they are far more easier to get. Plus not to mention the recorded word, be it phonograph, tape, film or digital. One can actully see and hear sights from 100 years ago. People long dead. speaches long spoken, battles long fought.

A personal favorite of mine is one of the last DVD's in the World at War Series with the interveiw of the concentration camp suvivor you tells of how her family was killed and how she was shot and awoke underneath a pile of bodies including that of her 5 year old daughter.

We are only truly dead when we are forgotten.

Answer 2

We rely on documentary evidence and on evidence from 'objects' from buildings to potsherds, sometimes obtained through archaeology. Herodotus relied, probably solely, on handed down, oral evidence, although he may have had access to earlier authors of whom we know nothing.

Answer 3

Herodotus nothing like his work has ever been written.He digressed a lot.

Answer 4

Today we study documents, film/video, etc. Back then, they had mostly oral history to go by.