亚里士多德在《诗学》 中提出了著名的“史诗二元对立观”，这一对历史学的成见影响深远。黑格尔与叔本华也受这一观念影响，将史学与诗学对立。黑格尔否认历史学能够认识事物的内在联系和本质，叔本华贬低历史学所蕴含的内在真实性。不过，史诗二元对立观实与古希腊的文化传统相悖，黑格尔与叔本华也在他们的论述中不自觉地给予史诗关系以“历史美学”的启迪。在中国传统史论中，无论是刘知几、钱谦益还是章学诚，都有关于史诗相通的大量论述，这既是对传统史学实践的理论总结，同时也是对现代史家重新定位历史学的重要提示。

Aristotle’s famous “opposition between history and poetry” in Poetics has a far-reaching influence on the preconception of history. Influenced by this conception, Hegel and Schopenhauer contrast historiography with poetics. Hegel denies that history can understand the internal relations and essence of things, while Schopenhauer belittles the inherent truth of history. However, the “opposition between history and poetry” is contrary to the cultural tradition of ancient Greece, and Hegel and Schopenhauer unconsciously have “historical aesthetic” insights into the relationship between history and poetry in their discussions. In China’s traditional theories of history put forward by scholars such as Liu Zhiji, Qian Qianyi, and Zhang Xuecheng, there are a large number of arguments about the close connection between history and poetry, which is not only a theoretical summary of traditional historiographic practice but also a significant inspiration for modern historians to reevaluate history.