[fotno]

I'll agree to a point. Admidst the classics here's a fine line between relaying a great tale and writing a dull, dry history text, in my opinion Herodotus trod that line beautifully. Thucydides, not so much.

Informative? While I'll again agree that Herodotus was far more informative, I would argue that any story (or legend) well told, is by its very nature informative. However, information is not necessarily educational. And education is not necessarily entertaining.

I try to take from each discipline, only the worth that is in it. I am long past the point in my own life, where I accumulate knowledge simply for the sake of possession. If I cannot apply that knowledge in the ordinary day to day, or use it as a tool of personal betterment, or yes, even base entertainment, then I leave it to those who still aspire to great scholarship. For myself, I'd rather enjoy the ride.

Course that's just me...