古希臘文aletheia(α’λη’θεια)一詞的詞義為真實。在希羅多德的著作中,aletheia意為史事經過史家真假判斷而達到的真實。另一方面,希羅多德受到城邦口授傳統的影響,往往讓聽眾來判斷史事的真假。修昔底德著作中的aletheia,已經擺脫了城邦口授傳統的影響,表述了史家對真假判斷的自主性。修昔底德還意識到,在某種情況下(如演說詞的建構),史家難以再現歷史的真實。波利比烏斯則進一步意識到,歷史研究可能并存著歷史的客觀性與史家的主觀性。他認為只有普世的歷史(即重視世界各地聯系與整體性的歷史),才能揭示人類歷史的真相。以上三位史家所用的aletheia一詞及其思想,反映了古希臘史學求真思想的發展及其特點。

The Greek word Aletheia(α’λη’θεια) means "truth".In the works of Herodotus,aletheia meant the truth based on the judgment of historians.Besides,influenced by the oral traditions of city-state,Herodotus inclined to leave the judgement to audience.For Thucydides,he had got rid of oral tradition and show the autonomy of historians on judgment.He also realized that in some cases(such as the constucting speeches),it was difficult for historians to recreate the true history.Polybius was further aware that the objectivity of history coexisted with the subjectivity of historians in historical research.He insisted that the truth in human history could only be uncovered in the universal history,and he paid attention to the interconnection of the world and the integration of history.To sum up,aletheia used by above-mentioned three historians and its idea reflect the development of the ancient Greek historiography and its characteristics.