汤因比在《历史研究》绪论中说:事实与虚构之间并没有清晰的界限。他以《伊里亚特》为例指出,如果你拿它当历史来读,会发现其间充满了虚构;如果你拿它当虚构的故事来读,又发现其中充满了历史。所有的历史都同《伊里亚特》相似到这种程度,它们不能完全没有虚构的成分。把历史事实加以选择、安排和表现,就属于虚构范围所采用的一种方法。但他赞同一个伟大的历史学家同时也是一位伟大的艺术家,如果不是这样,他就不可能成为“伟大的”历史学家①。从这个意义上说,“历史”就是 Toynbee said in the Introduction to Historical Studies that there is no clear boundary between fact and fiction. In the case of Iliad, he pointed out that if you read it as history, you will find it full of fiction; if you read it as a fictional story, you will find it full of history. All history is similar to Iliad to such an extent that they can not be completely fictional. The selection, arrangement and performance of historical facts are a method used in fictional scope. But he agrees with a great historian as well as a great artist, and if not, he can not become a “great” historian. In this sense, “history” is