Historie
Historie is a Japanese historical manga series written and illustrated by Hitoshi Iwaaki. It follows the story of Eumenes, a secretary and general to Alexander the Great. It has been serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Monthly Afternoon since January 2003, with its chapters collected in 12 volumes as of June 2024. An anime television series adaptation produced by Liden Films has been announced.
In 2010, Historie received the Grand Prize at the 14th Japan Media Arts Festival as well as the 16th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2012. It won the 49th Kodansha Manga Award in the general category in 2025.
Plot
Set in mid-4th century BC Greece, Historie is a fictionalized account of Eumenes, a royal secretary and general under Alexander the Great. The narrative chronicles his life from childhood to adulthood. Born into a wealthy family in the city-state of Cardia, Eumenens is enslaved after being falsely accused of causing his adoptive father's death. Following his escape, he embarks on a prolonged journey where his intellect, strategic acumen, and skill in warfare bring him renown.Characters
Historie portrays many historical characters who actually existed in ancient Greece and Persia.;Eumenes
;Charon
;Hieronymus
;Hieronymus (the Younger)
;Tolmides
;Satura
;Perialla
;Thrax
;Theogeiton
;Memnon
;Hermias
;Aristotle
;Barsine
;Philip II of Macedon
;Arrhidaeus
;Alexander the Great
;Olympias
;Eurydice
Media
Manga
Written and illustrated by Hitoshi Iwaaki, Historie has been serialized in Kodansha's manga magazine Monthly Afternoon since 25 January 2003. Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual volumes. The first volume was released on 22 October 2004. In the October 2022 issue of Monthly Afternoon, Iwaki announced that he would take a break to work on the production of the twelfth volume. He also commented: "I must contemplate how to ensure that the entire story undoubtedly reaches a conclusion." The twelfth volume was released on 21 June 2024.In August 2024, Kodansha began publishing the series in English on its K Manga digital service.
Anime
An anime television series adaptation produced by Liden Films was announced on 1 January 2026.Reception
By January 2026, Historie had over 4.7 million copies in circulation. It was a finalist for the tenth installment of Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2006, and won the Grand Prize at its 16th installment in 2012. The manga was also awarded the Grand Prize for the Manga Division in the 14th Japan Media Arts Festival in 2010. The manga won the 49th Kodansha Manga Award in the general category in 2025.The Mainichi Shimbun newspaper called Iwaaki's vision of Eumenes' past—which, historically, is largely a mystery—"bold and unique". Manga critic and editor Jason Thompson stated that in terms of scale, ambition, and plotting, Historie is the author's masterpiece.