This work by the Greek historian Herodotus (circa 485 to 425 BC) is the oldest completely preserved prose writing in Greek literature and one of the fundamental testimonies of Western culture. It describes the history of Greece and the Near East from mythical times to 478 BC. Herodotus undertook immense travels through the known world of his time, visiting not only Greece but also Egypt and Nubia, Syria and Persia, Sicily, and the Black Sea. With his accounts of the culture, customs, and traditions of the countries he visited, his book is also a primary document of everyday and cultural history.