Xanthus (historian)
Encyclopedia
Xanthus of Lydia was a native Lydia
n historian
and logographer
who, during the mid-fifth century BC, wrote texts on the history of Lydia
known as Lydiaca (Λυδιακά). Xanthus also wrote occasionally about geology. It is believed that Xanthus was the earliest historian to have written a significant amount on the topic of Lydian history. He is also believed to have written a work entitled Magica (Mαγικά), as well as one entitled Life of Empedocles
. It is believed that Xanthus had some knowledge of Persian traditions, and it is plausible that he, a Lydian, would write about Persian religion, but it seems unlikely due to the available evidence. , His seat was believed to be at Sardis
, the capital. A contemporary and colleague of Herodotus
, most of his writings concerned the lineage and deeds of the Lydian kings. Xanthus was known for writing in the traditional Ionian style of trying to establish the scene of popular myths. One example of Xanthus using this type of writing style is when he placed the scene of the "giant's punishment" in Katakekaumene. Xanthus was also known for adapting historical events that were often considered boring into passages that the general Greek public would enjoy. Xanthus was one of the chief authorities used by Nicolaus of Damascus
.
Lydia
Lydia was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern Turkish provinces of Manisa and inland İzmir. Its population spoke an Anatolian language known as Lydian....
n historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and logographer
Logographer (history)
The logographers were the Greek historiographers and chroniclers before Herodotus, "the father of history". Herodotus himself called his predecessors λογοποιοί...
who, during the mid-fifth century BC, wrote texts on the history of Lydia
Lydia
Lydia was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern Turkish provinces of Manisa and inland İzmir. Its population spoke an Anatolian language known as Lydian....
known as Lydiaca (Λυδιακά). Xanthus also wrote occasionally about geology. It is believed that Xanthus was the earliest historian to have written a significant amount on the topic of Lydian history. He is also believed to have written a work entitled Magica (Mαγικά), as well as one entitled Life of Empedocles
Empedocles
Empedocles was a Greek pre-Socratic philosopher and a citizen of Agrigentum, a Greek city in Sicily. Empedocles' philosophy is best known for being the originator of the cosmogenic theory of the four Classical elements...
. It is believed that Xanthus had some knowledge of Persian traditions, and it is plausible that he, a Lydian, would write about Persian religion, but it seems unlikely due to the available evidence. , His seat was believed to be at Sardis
Sardis
Sardis or Sardes was an ancient city at the location of modern Sart in Turkey's Manisa Province...
, the capital. A contemporary and colleague of Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
, most of his writings concerned the lineage and deeds of the Lydian kings. Xanthus was known for writing in the traditional Ionian style of trying to establish the scene of popular myths. One example of Xanthus using this type of writing style is when he placed the scene of the "giant's punishment" in Katakekaumene. Xanthus was also known for adapting historical events that were often considered boring into passages that the general Greek public would enjoy. Xanthus was one of the chief authorities used by Nicolaus of Damascus
Nicolaus of Damascus
Nicolaus of Damascus was a Greek historian and philosopher who lived during the Augustan age of the Roman Empire. His name is derived from that of his birthplace, Damascus. He was born around 64 BC....
.
Lydiaca
According to references from Stephanus of Byzantium, the Lydiaca is believed to be composed of four different books. Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell how Xanthus arranged his material within the books as well as what amount of it would deal with pre-Mermand times. Due to his tendency of using anecdotes, it is believed that his historical arrangements within his works may have been loose, like Herodotus. According to a reference from Stephanus of Byzantium, it is believed that part of book IV of the Lydiaca describes the founding of Ascalon, a center for the cult of Atargatis, from the point of view of a Lydian named Ascalus, the son of Hymenaeus (also known as Tymenaeus) during the rule of king Alkimos (also known as Akiamos). The Lydiaca's credibility has been questioned numerous times due to conflicting quotations and due to the fact that only fragments of his works have survived. Dionysius of Halicarnass, gives Xanthus the most credibility, because in his paper about Thucydides, he mentions that most historians earlier than Herodotus had “mythographic tendencies,” but gives Xanthus a fair amount of praise. Daionysius of Halicarnass refers to Xanthus as “a man with an exceptionally sound knowledge of early history, who must be considered second to none in establishing the history of his own country” (I. 28.). By an intelligent writer like Daionysius giving such a strong statement about Xanthus and his works, it is inferred that he came to his conclusion by studying the original Lydiaca or at least epitome of Menippus, and not by reading the unreliable quotations by Scytobrachion. Many interpret this as evidence that Xanthus’s work was substantive and legitimate, and not just a fabrication of some other writer such as Scytobrachion who attributed quotes to Xanthus that were never said and were actually his own statements. According to Strabo, in the first book of the Lydiaca Xanthus mentions finding rocks in the shape of seashells in many inland areas, such as Armenia, Matiene, and Lower Phrugia, and from this observation he speculates that the entire Anatolian Peninsula was once under water (I. 3, 4).Magica
The Magica is referenced once by Clement of Alexandria, but this reference’s credibility is often questioned since Clement of Alexandria also unreliably referenced Xanthus for the date of the founding of Thasos.Works cited
- Easterling, P. E., Bernard MacGregor, and Walker Knox. Greek Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1985. Google Books. Web. 29 Jan. 2010.
- Marincola, John. Greek Historians. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2001. Google Books. Web. 29 Jan. 2010.
- Pearson, Lionel. Early Ionian Historians. London: Oxford UP, 1939. Print.
- Seters, John Van. In Search of History: Historiography in the Ancient World and the Origins of Biblical History. New Haven: Yale UP, 1983. Google Books. Web. 29 Jan. 2010.
- Tozer, Henry Fanshawe, and Max Cary. A History of Ancient Geography, Volume 1. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, n.d. Google Books. Web. 29 Jan. 2010.