Chapter 1 analysis

I had to re-read this chapter about three times to understand it and to be honest I still don't understand anything. Since I'm supposed to give my thoughts out on this chapter, I shall: it was pointless. 

I understand the objective of this textbook is to give tips for writers but was it necessary to give a history lesson? During the time I was reading I was wondering why the narrator kept rambling on about the history of Greece. I mean yeah sure it's interesting how these Greek philosophers (i.e. Plato and Aristotle) were the ones that created proper ways to think and write but I honestly did not care about the stories of Pericles and Apasia. What a waste of time.