Knowledge

Hecataeus of Miletus

Source 📝

348:. It recounts how the priests showed Herodotus a series of statues in the temple's inner sanctum, each one supposedly set up by the high priest of each generation. Hecataeus, says Herodotus, had seen the same spectacle, after mentioning that he traced his descent, through sixteen generations, from a god. The Egyptians compared his genealogy to their own, as recorded by the statues; since the generations of their high priests had numbered three hundred and forty-five, all mortal men, they refused to believe Hecataeus's claim of descent from a god. Historian 361: 677: 208:
against Persian rule, Hecataeus tried in vain to dissuade his countrymen from the undertaking. In 494 BC, when the defeated Ionians were obliged to sue for terms, he was one of the ambassadors to the Persian
196:. After having travelled extensively, he settled in his native city, where he occupied a high position, and devoted his time to the composition of geographical and historical works. When 448:
During the period of Achaemenid rule in Miletus, which was the most important city of Ionia, there lived the eminent philosopher Anaximander and the geographer and historian Hecataeus.
334:
One fragment that has survived is the opening "Hecataeus of Miletus thus speaks: I write what I deem true; for the stories of the Greeks are manifold and seem to me ridiculous."
285:. Hecataeaus provides information about the people and places that would be encountered on a coastal voyage between these points, as well as the inhabitants of the various 392:
and other poets as trustworthy authorities. Herodotus, though he contradicts his statements at least once, is indebted to Hecataeus for the concept of a prose history.
692: 261:
was written in two books, the first on Europe, the second on Asia, in which he included Africa. The book is a comprehensive work on geography beginning at the
331:
in four books. Less than forty fragments remain. He applied a more skeptical approach to the traditions of families who claimed to be descended from gods.
764: 352:
has called this encounter with the antiquity of Egypt an influence on Hecataeus's scepticism: he recognized that oral history is untrustworthy.
804: 697: 769: 809: 388:
to attempt a serious prose history and to employ critical method to distinguish myth from historical fact, though he accepts
784: 779: 754: 824: 819: 789: 759: 441: 522: 749: 814: 539: 216:, whom he persuaded to restore the constitution of the Ionic cities. Hecataeus is the first known Greek 774: 660: 799: 794: 548: 732: 314: 717: 497: 464: 414: 385: 286: 512: 722: 640: 262: 8: 429: 20: 713: 654: 193: 650: 518: 437: 278: 185: 56: 492: 115: 189: 368:
Besides his written works, Hecataeus is also credited with improving the map of
349: 270: 162: 154: 743: 688: 683: 345: 341: 205: 52: 369: 360: 328: 310: 309:. Over 300 fragments of this work are preserved, mostly as citations for 213: 197: 701:. Vol. 13 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 193. 612: 169: 459: 409: 337: 290: 282: 266: 225: 217: 165: 97: 682:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
373: 274: 240:, "Journey round the Earth" or "World Survey") and Γενεαλογίαι ( 181: 161:; c. 550 – c. 476 BC), son of Hegesander, was an early 93: 47: 544: 294: 210: 60: 139: 389: 306: 302: 298: 201: 590: 221: 142: 130: 124: 220:
and was one of the first classical writers to mention the
510: 578: 476: 474: 340:(II, 143) tells a story of a visit by Hecataeus to an 200:, acting tyrant of Miletus, held a council of leading 511:
Lamberg-Karlovsky, C. C.; Sabloff, Jeremy A. (1979).
145: 127: 118: 646:
1831 edition of Hecateus fragments from Google Books
514:
Ancient Civilizations: The Near East and Mesoamerica
136: 504: 471: 228:peoples. He is known as the "Father of Geography". 133: 121: 16:Greek historian and geographer (c. 550–c. 476 BC) 741: 180:Hailing from a very wealthy family, he lived in 236:Two works by Hecateus are known: Περίοδος γῆς ( 434:A Political History of the Achaemenid Empire 248:). However, they only survive in fragments. 712: 615:(NY, Dover Publications, 1958), pp. 14, 48 19:For the later historian of this name, see 765:Ancient Greeks from the Achaemenid Empire 428: 687: 649: 596: 584: 480: 359: 192:. He was active during the time of the 742: 372:, which he saw as a disc encircled by 805:Historians from the Achaemenid Empire 730: 408: 327:Hecataeus' other work was a book on 13: 14: 836: 706: 384:He was probably the first of the 770:Historians from ancient Anatolia 675: 644:: Scylacis Caryandensis Periplus 517:. Benjamin/Cummings. p. 5. 114: 618: 602: 251: 810:Classical-era Greek historians 668: 566: 554: 531: 486: 453: 422: 402: 320: 1: 395: 72: 39: 609:The Ancient Greek Historians 175: 7: 785:5th-century BC Greek people 780:6th-century BC Greek people 755:Ancient Greek mythographers 540:Oxford Classical Dictionary 277:following the coast of the 10: 841: 825:6th-century BC geographers 820:5th-century BC geographers 642:Hecataei Milesii Fragmenta 634: 468:, Book 5, Sections 36, 125 412:. "Book VI, Section 137". 379: 18: 790:5th-century BC historians 760:Ancient Greek geographers 661:Columbia University Press 204:at Miletus to organize a 158: 103: 89: 82: 68: 35: 28: 231: 698:Encyclopædia Britannica 549:Oxford University Press 188:rule in the satrapy of 750:Early Greek historians 733:"Hecataeus of Miletus" 718:"Hecataeus of Miletus" 656:The History of History 436:. BRILL. p. 153. 365: 364:World map of Hecataeus 355: 315:Stephanus of Byzantium 815:Writers of lost works 498:Bibliotheca historica 363: 287:Mediterranean islands 723:Encyclopedia Iranica 693:Hecataeus of Miletus 263:Straits of Gibraltar 110:Hecataeus of Miletus 30:Hecataeus of Miletus 599:, pp. 139–140. 159:Ἑκαταῖος ὁ Μιλήσιος 21:Hecataeus of Abdera 726:(Online ed.). 714:Wiesehöfer, Joseph 651:Shotwell, James T. 613:Bury, John Bagnell 366: 244:) or the Ἱστορία ( 194:Greco-Persian Wars 775:Ancient Milesians 731:Lendering, Jona. 107: 106: 84:Scientific career 832: 736: 727: 702: 681: 679: 678: 664: 628: 622: 616: 606: 600: 594: 588: 582: 576: 570: 564: 558: 552: 535: 529: 528: 508: 502: 493:Diodorus Siculus 490: 484: 478: 469: 457: 451: 450: 430:Dandamaev, M. A. 426: 420: 419: 406: 160: 152: 151: 148: 147: 144: 141: 138: 135: 132: 129: 126: 123: 120: 77: 74: 44: 41: 26: 25: 840: 839: 835: 834: 833: 831: 830: 829: 740: 739: 709: 691:, ed. (1911). " 676: 674: 671: 637: 632: 631: 623: 619: 607: 603: 595: 591: 583: 579: 571: 567: 559: 555: 537:"Hecataeus" in 536: 532: 525: 509: 505: 491: 487: 479: 472: 458: 454: 444: 427: 423: 407: 403: 398: 382: 358: 325: 313:in the work of 256: 234: 178: 117: 113: 75: 64: 50: 45: 42: 31: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 838: 828: 827: 822: 817: 812: 807: 802: 800:470s BC deaths 797: 795:550s BC births 792: 787: 782: 777: 772: 767: 762: 757: 752: 738: 737: 728: 708: 707:External links 705: 704: 703: 689:Chisholm, Hugh 670: 667: 666: 665: 647: 636: 633: 630: 629: 617: 601: 589: 587:, p. 138. 577: 565: 553: 530: 523: 503: 485: 470: 452: 443:978-9004091726 442: 421: 400: 399: 397: 394: 381: 378: 357: 354: 350:James Shotwell 324: 319: 271:Atlantic coast 269:ending at the 255: 250: 233: 230: 177: 174: 105: 104: 101: 100: 91: 87: 86: 80: 79: 70: 66: 65: 46: 37: 33: 32: 29: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 837: 826: 823: 821: 818: 816: 813: 811: 808: 806: 803: 801: 798: 796: 793: 791: 788: 786: 783: 781: 778: 776: 773: 771: 768: 766: 763: 761: 758: 756: 753: 751: 748: 747: 745: 735:. livius.org. 734: 729: 725: 724: 719: 715: 711: 710: 700: 699: 694: 690: 685: 684:public domain 673: 672: 662: 658: 657: 652: 648: 645: 643: 639: 638: 626: 621: 614: 610: 605: 598: 597:Shotwell 1922 593: 586: 585:Shotwell 1922 581: 574: 569: 562: 557: 551:1999 pp.670-1 550: 546: 542: 541: 534: 526: 524:9780805356724 520: 516: 515: 507: 500: 499: 494: 489: 482: 481:Chisholm 1911 477: 475: 467: 466: 461: 456: 449: 445: 439: 435: 431: 425: 417: 416: 411: 405: 401: 393: 391: 387: 377: 375: 371: 362: 353: 351: 347: 343: 339: 335: 332: 330: 323: 318: 316: 312: 308: 304: 300: 296: 292: 288: 284: 280: 279:Mediterranean 276: 272: 268: 264: 260: 254: 249: 247: 243: 239: 229: 227: 223: 219: 215: 212: 207: 203: 199: 195: 191: 187: 184:, then under 183: 173: 171: 167: 164: 156: 150: 111: 102: 99: 95: 92: 88: 85: 81: 76: 476 BC 71: 67: 62: 58: 54: 49: 43: 550 BC 38: 34: 27: 22: 721: 696: 655: 641: 624: 620: 608: 604: 592: 580: 572: 568: 560: 556: 538: 533: 513: 506: 496: 488: 463: 455: 447: 433: 424: 413: 404: 386:logographers 383: 367: 336: 333: 326: 321: 259:Periodos ges 258: 257: 253:Periodos ges 252: 245: 241: 238:Periodos ges 237: 235: 179: 109: 108: 83: 669:Attribution 370:Anaximander 329:mythography 322:Genealogies 311:place names 242:Genealogiai 214:Artaphernes 198:Aristagoras 744:Categories 396:References 344:temple at 265:and going 170:geographer 543:3rd. ed. 465:Histories 460:Herodotus 415:Histories 410:Herodotus 338:Herodotus 291:Scythians 283:Black Sea 267:clockwise 218:historian 176:Biography 166:historian 98:geography 78:(aged 74) 716:(2003). 653:(1922). 432:(1989). 342:Egyptian 246:Historia 226:Illyrian 686::  635:Sources 380:Summary 374:Oceanus 275:Morocco 202:Ionians 186:Persian 182:Miletus 94:History 48:Miletus 680:  659:. NY: 545:Oxford 521:  440:  346:Thebes 295:Persia 289:, the 222:Celtic 211:satrap 206:revolt 90:Fields 61:Turkey 627:p.671 575:p.671 563:p.671 501:10.25 390:Homer 307:Nubia 303:Egypt 299:India 232:Works 190:Lydia 163:Greek 155:Greek 57:Aydın 53:Balat 51:(now 519:ISBN 438:ISBN 305:and 281:and 224:and 168:and 96:and 69:Died 36:Born 695:". 625:OCD 573:OCD 561:OCD 356:Map 273:of 746:: 720:. 611:; 547:; 495:, 473:^ 462:, 446:. 376:. 317:. 301:, 297:, 293:, 172:. 157:: 153:; 140:iː 73:c. 59:, 55:, 40:c. 663:. 527:. 483:. 418:. 149:/ 146:s 143:ə 137:t 134:ˈ 131:ə 128:k 125:ɛ 122:h 119:ˌ 116:/ 112:( 63:) 23:.

Index

Hecataeus of Abdera
Miletus
Balat
Aydın
Turkey
History
geography
/ˌhɛkəˈtəs/
Greek
Greek
historian
geographer
Miletus
Persian
Lydia
Greco-Persian Wars
Aristagoras
Ionians
revolt
satrap
Artaphernes
historian
Celtic
Illyrian
Straits of Gibraltar
clockwise
Atlantic coast
Morocco
Mediterranean
Black Sea

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.