From "walking" to "sitting": Changes in the practices of European historiography from ancient to medieval times

Ancient Greek historians were inclined to "walk," that is, to travel widely, either to visit battlefields or inquire with witnesses, as well as to engage in politics and wars, through which to sharpen their own understandings of historical events. While under the Principate, Roman historians residing in the capital city could obtain almost all of the necessary information without traveling. All of these writing methods changed when Christian historians took up their pens. As clerics or monks, they were obliged to stay around a certain church or in a monastery, so they tended to get information mainly through "sitting" to read documents and people"s writings or chatting with guests passing by. This transformation led to the rise of local history, especially the history of churches and monasteries.