Hybridity in Herodotus
| Author | Susan McWilliams |
| Published date | 01 December 2013 |
| Date | 01 December 2013 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1065912913481286 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
research-article2013
Article
Political Research Quarterly
66(4) 745 –755
Hybridity in Herodotus
© 2013 University of Utah
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DOI: 10.1177/1065912913481286
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Susan McWilliams1
Abstract
Scholarly interest in hybridity has focused largely on the present and recent past. Yet, one of the great theorists of
hybridity is an ancient one: Herodotus. By describing a globe in motion—the motion of people across borders and
through time—Herodotus draws a picture of a world that brings the hybrid to the fore. He thinks seriously about
how we should regard diversity in light of global hybridity. Reading Herodotus as a theorist of the hybrid not only adds
an interesting perspective to contemporary conversations but also reminds us of hybridity’s enduring importance as
a subject of political inquiry.
Keywords
globalization, Herodotus, hybridity, multiculturalism, travel
Hybridity is a concept currently receiving a great deal of
More specifically, Herodotus devotes much of his
attention. Following the lead of thinkers like Gloria
energy in The History to counseling his Greek audience
Anzaldúa and Homi Bhabha, scholars are noticing and
about how to understand political identity in a world
analyzing the processes of border crossing and cultural
where motion rather than stasis is the rule and where, cor-
mixing that are apparent in our own time (Anzaldúa
respondingly, border crossings are the norm rather than
1987; Bhabha 1994; Kapchan and Strong 1999). Perhaps
the exception (Redfield 1985). As part of this project,
because hybridity is such an evident feature of contem-
Herodotus aims to correct the Greeks’ propensity to
porary globalization, lending a sense of immediacy to
define themselves in hegemonic political terms, a pro-
its study, scholarly interest in the concept has been
pensity tied to a kind of thoughtless ethnocentrism in
focused largely on the present day and the recent (often
speech, which does not in fact reflect the reality of Greek
colonial) past (Gonzalez 2004; Held and McGrew 2003;
practice (Munson 2001). By demonstrating the extent of
Kraidy 2005; Pieterse 2003). The common idea that
intercultural interconnectedness, and showing how that
hybridity is a boundary-subverting, transgressive criti-
interconnectedness destabilizes every conventional
cal tool also imbues its study with a spirit of newness
notion of culture and politics as “fixed,” Herodotus
(Kompridis 2005).
encourages his audience to embrace the hybrid.
Yet, one of the great theorists of hybridity is an
For Herodotus, it is critical to embrace hybridity in
ancient one: Herodotus. In The History, hybridity is a
practice as well as in theory. Although it seems paradoxi-
dominant, if not the dominant theme. Through his elab-
cal at first glance, those cultures that admit of foreign
orate descriptions of a globe that is overwhelmed by
customs and conventions—no matter what the regime
motion—the motion of people and cultures as they over-
form—are the most durable in the long term. To thrive in
lap and intersect, and the motion of all peoples and cul-
conditions of intercultural interconnectedness, a commu-
tures through time—Herodotus draws a picture of a
nity must never imagine itself to be static, and must never
world that brings the hybrid to the fore. He thinks seri-
refuse to learn from foreign instruction. At the same time,
ously about how we should regard diversity and plural-
Herodotus does not advocate doing away with conven-
ity in light of an appreciation of global hybridity. What’s
tional political borders, nor does he aspire to a unity in
more, his particular vantage point, ensconced in the
human political practice. He believes that diversity in
ancient world—a world radically different from our
customs and conventions is not only inevitable but also
own—allows Herodotus to add the contemporary dis-
cussion on hybridity in novel fashion. Reading 1Pomona College, Claremont, CA, USA
Herodotus as a theorist of the hybrid thus not only adds
an interesting perspective to contemporary conversa-
Corresponding Author:
Susan McWilliams, Pomona College, 425 North College Avenue,
tions about hybridity but also reminds us of its perma-
Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
nent importance as a subject of political inquiry.
Email: susan.mcwilliams@pomona.edu
746
Political Research Quarterly 66(4)
desirable; diversity of practices is a natural reflection of
prominence, but those apparent changes bespeak more
the plurality in human nature, and a diverse world is one
fundamental changes in the character and makeup of
in which the dangers of tyranny and slavery are less
political societies. For Herodotus, “in a vast length of
severe. Political borders, though conventional and imper-
time”—over long stretches and in brief, definitive
fect, help to preserve that diversity. For Herodotus, the
moments—“anything may happen!” (359 [5.9]). He fore-
model of the enviable society in an interconnected and
grounds the omnipresence of change and temporal motion
hybrid world is one in which power is somewhat local-
in his narrative. In fact, Herodotus says that he writes his
ized based on communal freedom (Raaflaub 2004). That
History so that “time may not draw the color from what
communal freedom implies the freedom to consider new
man has brought into being”; it is necessary to record the
and foreign ways of doing things, the freedom to choose
past precisely because human life and politics do not exist
and change laws and customs. Herodotus is in particular
in a static context (33 [1.1]). Therefore, if at any point,
hoping that the Greek-speaking people of his time—in an
people believe that politics might be settled or fixed on
era, much like our own, of increasing cross-border con-
permanent grounds (or theorized in a way that is
nections—will embrace a more hybrid view of the politi-
abstracted from time and motion), they betray a temporal
cal world. If they do, Herodotus thinks they might temper
provincialism (Kapuściński 2007, 271; Ward 2008).
their own ethnocentric excesses, develop a more sophisti-
People and cultures move across geographic space,
cated self-understanding, and turn away from the tempta-
and all peoples and cultures move through time. The
tion toward imperialism.
world of The History is fluid in both the physical and
chronological sense, a view that highlights the concepts
A World in Motion
that we now encompass in the word “hybridity.”
Even the title of Herodotus’s work indicates both the fact
An Interconnected World
of an interconnected political world and the confounding
of traditional political identities (Wolin 1993, 475). The
Central to Herodotus’s approach is his elaboration of the
history that Herodotus proposes to tell is by implication a
fantastic range of ways in which seemingly distinct polit-
common, cross-cultural one; his book is not titled the
ical entities may in fact be interconnected. Most obvi-
Athenian History or the Greek History or even the Greek
ously, political societies may become interconnected via
and Persian History. He denotes it as the exposition of
explicit and official engagement. The alliance formations
his research concerning both Greeks and non-Greeks
in The History are almost too numerous to mention;
(Herodotus 1987, 33 [1.1]). From the beginning, Herodotus focuses in particular on the alliances formed
Herodotus implies the existence of a political story that
by and among xenoi (ξεi˜νοι), the politically sanctioned
connects peoples who had long imagined themselves—
relationship of “guest-friendship” (51 [1.44]; 507
and may still imagine themselves—to be distinct. In The
[7.116]). And there are points in the text where Herodotus
History, everything is potentially interconnected, and
details various alliances for pages on end, usually alli-
there is a constant return to the theme of global interrelat-
ances made in the service of war. On many grounds, he
edness (Dewald 2008, xxvii). The events that have
shows, war catalyzes cross-cultural exchange and inter-
defined political life across the known world, Herodotus
action. War often acts to connect distant peoples, as is
intimates, are all part of the same whole, subject to the
surely the case in the Greco-Persian wars, both in the
same history. To understand politics and even culture in
relatively constructive relationships formed by diplo-
any one of these particular places, it is necessary to look
macy and in the antagonistic engagements of the battle-
beyond its borders and understand the ways in which
field. (Even antagonistic cross-cultural engagement is a
even ostensibly disparate people actually have a role in
form of cross-cultural engagement; hostile border cross-
each others’ fates. Herodotus sees the world as a place
ings are still a kind of border crossing.) Herodotus signals
dominated by the motion of cultures as they intersect and
as much from the first page of The History, when he gives
overlap (Thompson 1996).
the Persian chroniclers’ account of the origins of the war;
Simultaneously, Herodotus frames his work by empha-
the fact that the Greeks and the Persians have fought a
sizing motion over time, with a proclamation about politi-
war means that they are bound up in each others’ stories
cal...
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