A universal history is a work aiming at the presentation of a history of all of humankind as a whole. Universal historians try to identify connections and patterns among individual historical events and phenomena, making them part of a general narrative. A universal chronicle or world chronicle typically traces history from the beginning of written information about the past up to the present. Therefore, any work classed as such purportedly attempts to embrace the events of all times and nations insofar as scientific treatment of them is possible.
Facts
Place of Origin Notable ExampleFasciculus temporum by Werner Rolevinck 1 Defining TraitIdentifies connections and patterns among individual historical events and phenomena, making them part of a general narrative 1 FAQs
Who wrote the first universal history?
In Greco-Roman antiquity the first was by Ephorus (405 to 330 BCE). It is lost; Polybius was the first to attempt the stricter kind.
In Greco-Roman antiquity the first universal history was written by Ephorus, who lived from about 405 to 330 BCE. His work has been lost, but its influence can be seen in the ambitions of Polybius and Diodorus to give comprehensive accounts of their worlds. Polybius is described as the first to attempt a universal history in the stricter sense of the term, one that tries to bring the operations of Fortune together under a single synoptic view.
Sources
1. Universal history (genre) - Wikipedia
Greco-Roman historiography
In Greco-Roman antiquity, the first universal history was written by Ephorus
Medieval examples, Christian medieval Europe
Fasciculus temporum ("Little bundles of time") by Werner Rolevinck was the first printed universal history
Introduction
Universal historians try to identify connections and patterns among individual historical events and phenomena, making them part of a general narrative
In Group: Chronicles, Annals and Histories, Lead section
A universal history is a work aiming at the presentation of a history of all of humankind as a whole.
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