As historical and literary classics

both Zuo Zhuan and Herodotus’Histories attach great importance to the roles of ethics in social history. In these two works

the ethical predicament encountered by certain characters are keenly observed and carefully portrayed. Some predicaments are imposed by external factors

and others are brought about by the conflicts of the characters' internal ethical values. The characters’choices when facing these predicament and their consequences reveal the similarities and differences between Chinese and Western ethical values

which have exerted a far-reaching effect on later generations

not only providing enlightenment and lessons for modern people

but also offering useful reference for contemporary literature and literary criticism.