The investigation into the causes of the Persian wars leads in the Histories into a general reflection on human existence and the dangers that power entails. According to what is announced at the beginning of the work, the existence of men is constantly subject to change, as can be seen from the events of so many powerful people whose deeds and inexorable fall we observe. But to what extent can Herodotian characters hold themselves responsible for their lives, if events are often determined by the influence of the gods in human affairs? Was the attack on Greece decided by Xerxes or by the divine dream? Was it the gods to drive back the enemy or Athens thanks to the decisive contribution of the fleet? Despite the time that has passed, Herodotus still poses stimulating questions that force us to question ourselves about the reality that surrounds us, without losing sight of the profound distance that separates today's world from ancient Greece.