Primary Source Documents and Historical Research
How Students and Writers of History Should View Eye-Witness Accounts
In the 6th Century, the Byzantine historian Procopius left a wealth of useful information describing the reign of the Emperor Justinian. His chronicles detail social life, epidemics, war, and life at the imperial court. Yet Procopius also left a Secret History which, in part, gives a very unfavorable and promiscuous picture of Justinian’s aggressive wife, Theodora. Procopius demonstrates the difficulties in relying exclusively on original source documents that often cannot be corroborated by other sources. In the case of Procopius, there are other historical sources, such as the writer John the Lydian, whose observations and demeanor support the conclusions.
Historians Writing After the Fact
Many ancient historians frequently cited wrote about events that occurred long before their time. This includes Herodotus, Josephus, Livy, and Suetonius. The assumption is that these authors had access to documents that gave accounts of battles, treaties, imperial reports, and other sources that are now lost. Thus, one of the early Church Fathers wrote to the Emperor Trajan, encouraging him to consult his archives on the official reports submitted by Pontius Pilate in regard to the trial and crucifixion of Jesus.
Herodotus once stated that he recorded the facts of the past, but he didn’t have to believe them. In many cases, these histories included myths and legends, certainly a staple in the ancient world, and often presenting conflicting stories. Even modern historians have been guilty of this. Early 19th Century American writers, seeking to glorify the heroes and events of the American Revolution, often presented stories as undisputed facts when in reality they were national creation myths unsubstantiated by solid evidence.
Dangers of Bias in Original Source Documents
Bias is a dangerous thing in history. Facts are omitted or twisted to suit the views of the writer or interpreter. Attributing the burning of Rome to the Emperor Nero is a salient example. All accounts of the incident were written after Nero’s death and many by Christian writers who tended to regard Nero as a type of antichrist.
It must not be forgotten that it was early Christians that burned the great ancient library at Alexandria in Egypt because it contained the wealth of ancient pagan literature and history. Can these same early writers be trusted to accurately record historical events apart from an emerging Christian theological perspective?
Many Sources Tell the Same Story
Different “eye-witness” accounts described Constantine’s “vision” before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge; the crowning of Charlemagne in 800 by Pope Leo III is recounted by three different witnesses, each presenting a slightly different story. Reading an account of the Revolutionary War Battle of Yorktown by General Washington and General Cornwallis not only offers differing perspectives on the battle, but sheds light on the leadership characteristics of both men.
The Value of Original Source Documents
In his book The Great Cat Massacre, French social historian Robert Darnton explores urban life in pre-revolutionary France in the chapter, “A Bourgeois Puts His World in Order: The City as Text.” This excellent chapter demonstrates how the meticulously detailed recollections of one city inhabitant can help students and writers of history in understanding the social structure, economy, and religious life of a growing community.
Original sources can be extremely valuable in ascertaining everyday life as recorded by neutral bystanders. Even the documents of important men and women provide insight into social and cultural habits. Research on the Emancipation Proclamation, for example, can never be complete without reading the actual document as well as the writings of Abraham Lincoln in late 1862.
Sources:
- Robert Darnton, The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History (New York: Vintage Books – Random House, 1985)
- Michael Grant, The Ancient Historians (New York: Barnes and Noble, 1970)
- Cyril Mango, The Oxford History of Byzantium (Oxford University Press, 2002)
Original Writings Provide Insight into Daily Life
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