Combining historical, mythical, and anthropological narratives about ancient Mediterranean cultures, Herodotus was dubbed “The Father of History” by the Roman historian Cicero. Working in the tradition established by Homer, Herodotus uses the language and themes of the epic, but shifts the focus from a world in which the fate of a man could be determined by the acts of gods, to a world in which the fate of a people would be determined by the decisions of men.