The Legacy of 'The Histories' Rival historian Thucydides, who relied only on "factual" evidence to provide a less subjective account of "what had been done," frequently criticized Herodotus for inserting "fables" into his narrative just to make it more "delightful" and pleasant to read. Indeed, there are people who call Thucydides "the first historian" and Herodotus "the first liar." But no matter how one judges his reporting, Herodotus will likely get credit for taking a dry political story and turning it into literature.