Ephorus
Encyclopedia
Ephorus or Ephoros of Cyme in Aeolia
, in Asia Minor
, was an ancient Greek
historian
. Information on his biography is limited; he was the father of Demophilus, who followed in his footsteps as a historian, and to Plutarch
's claim that Ephorus declined Alexander the Great's offer to join him on his Persian campaign as the official historiographer
. Together with the historian Theopompus
, he was a pupil of Isocrates
, in whose school he attended two courses of rhetoric
. But he does not seem to have made much progress in the art, and it is said to have been at the suggestion of Isocrates himself that he took up literary composition and the study of history
.
. The whole work, edited by his son Demophilus - who added a 30th book - contained a summary description of the Sacred War
, along with other narratives from the days of the Heraclids
up until the taking of Perinthus
in 340 BC by Philip of Macedon
, covering a time span of more than seven hundred years. According to Polybius
, Ephorus was the first historian ever to author a universal history. For each of the 29 separate books Ephorus wrote a prooimion. The work was probably simply named Historiai, and followed a thematic, rather than a strictly chronological order in its narrative. Diodorus Siculus
was largely responsible for preserving this work for posterity, by copying large parts of his writings. Book 30, covering the years 356
-340 BC
, was added by Demophilus quite probably after his death. The excerpts of their writings in Diodorus constitute the only continuous narrative on the history of Greece between 480-340 BC.
It is clear that Ephorus made critical use of the best authorities, and his work, highly praised and much read in Antiquity
, was freely drawn upon by Diodorus Siculus
and other compilers. Strabo
attaches much importance to his geographical investigations, and praises him for being the first to separate the historical from the simply geographical element. In his Geographica
, Strabo quotes Ephorus at length,. Polybius, while crediting him with a knowledge of the conditions of naval warfare, ridicules his description of the battle Mantinea
as showing ignorance of the nature of land operations.
. He also wrote Peri heurematon, a book about inventions, and Peri lexeos, "On Style".
Other works attributed to him were:
Despite having written all these works, nothing but isolated fragments survived from the ancient world
. His entire work has been lost.
He was commended for drawing (though not always) a sharp line of demarcation between the mythical and historical; he even recognized that a profusion of detail, though lending corroborative force to accounts of recent events, is ground for suspicion, in reports of far-distant history. His style was high-flown and artificial, as was natural considering his early training, and he frequently sacrificed truth to rhetoric effect; but, according to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, he and Theopompus were the only historical writers whose language was accurate and finished.
split apart as far back as the winter of 372–373 BC.
Aeolis
Aeolis or Aeolia was an area that comprised the west and northwestern region of Asia Minor, mostly along the coast, and also several offshore islands , where the Aeolian Greek city-states were located...
, in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
, was an ancient Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
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...
. Information on his biography is limited; he was the father of Demophilus, who followed in his footsteps as a historian, and to Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
's claim that Ephorus declined Alexander the Great's offer to join him on his Persian campaign as the official historiographer
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
. Together with the historian Theopompus
Theopompus
Theopompus was a Greek historian and rhetorician- Biography :Theopompus was born on Chios. In early youth he seems to have spent some time at Athens, along with his father, who had been exiled on account of his Laconian sympathies...
, he was a pupil of Isocrates
Isocrates
Isocrates , an ancient Greek rhetorician, was one of the ten Attic orators. In his time, he was probably the most influential rhetorician in Greece and made many contributions to rhetoric and education through his teaching and written works....
, in whose school he attended two courses of rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
. But he does not seem to have made much progress in the art, and it is said to have been at the suggestion of Isocrates himself that he took up literary composition and the study of history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
.
Main works
The fruit of his labours was a set of 29 books, his universal historyUniversal history
Universal history is basic to the Western tradition of historiography, especially the Abrahamic wellspring of that tradition. Simply stated, universal history is the presentation of the history of humankind as a whole, as a coherent unit.-Ancient authors:...
. The whole work, edited by his son Demophilus - who added a 30th book - contained a summary description of the Sacred War
Sacred War
The term Sacred War can refer to a number of wars:* a series of wars carried out by members of the Amphictyonic League:** First Sacred War** Second Sacred War** Third Sacred War* the song Svyaschennaya Voyna...
, along with other narratives from the days of the Heraclids
Heracleidae
In Greek mythology, the Heracleidae or Heraclids were the numerous descendants of Heracles , especially applied in a narrower sense to the descendants of Hyllus, the eldest of his four sons by Deianira Other Heracleidae included Macaria, Lamos, Manto, Bianor, Tlepolemus, and Telephus...
up until the taking of Perinthus
Marmara Eregli
Marmara Ereğlisi is a town and district of Tekirdağ Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. The mayor is İbrahim Uyan .-Facts:Ereğli is 30 km east of the town of Tekirdağ, and 90 km west of Istanbul near a small pointed headland on the north shore of the Marmara Sea...
in 340 BC by Philip of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon "friend" + ἵππος "horse" — transliterated ; 382 – 336 BC), was a king of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III.-Biography:...
, covering a time span of more than seven hundred years. According to Polybius
Polybius
Polybius , Greek ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic Period noted for his work, The Histories, which covered the period of 220–146 BC in detail. The work describes in part the rise of the Roman Republic and its gradual domination over Greece...
, Ephorus was the first historian ever to author a universal history. For each of the 29 separate books Ephorus wrote a prooimion. The work was probably simply named Historiai, and followed a thematic, rather than a strictly chronological order in its narrative. Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus was a Greek historian who flourished between 60 and 30 BC. According to Diodorus' own work, he was born at Agyrium in Sicily . With one exception, antiquity affords no further information about Diodorus' life and doings beyond what is to be found in his own work, Bibliotheca...
was largely responsible for preserving this work for posterity, by copying large parts of his writings. Book 30, covering the years 356
356 BC
Year 356 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Ambustus and Laenas...
-340 BC
340 BC
Year 340 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Torquatus and Mus...
, was added by Demophilus quite probably after his death. The excerpts of their writings in Diodorus constitute the only continuous narrative on the history of Greece between 480-340 BC.
It is clear that Ephorus made critical use of the best authorities, and his work, highly praised and much read in Antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
, was freely drawn upon by Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus was a Greek historian who flourished between 60 and 30 BC. According to Diodorus' own work, he was born at Agyrium in Sicily . With one exception, antiquity affords no further information about Diodorus' life and doings beyond what is to be found in his own work, Bibliotheca...
and other compilers. Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
attaches much importance to his geographical investigations, and praises him for being the first to separate the historical from the simply geographical element. In his Geographica
Géographica
Géographica is the French-language magazine of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society , published under the Society's French name, the Société géographique royale du Canada . Introduced in 1997, Géographica is not a stand-alone publication, but is published as an irregular supplement to La...
, Strabo quotes Ephorus at length,. Polybius, while crediting him with a knowledge of the conditions of naval warfare, ridicules his description of the battle Mantinea
Battle of Mantinea (362 BC)
The Battle of Mantinea was fought on July 4 362 BC between the Thebans, led by Epaminondas and supported by the Arcadians and the Boeotian league against the Spartans, led by King Agesilaus II and supported by the Eleans, Athenians, and Mantineans...
as showing ignorance of the nature of land operations.
Additional works
Besides the universal history, Ephorus wrote an Epichorios logos (a patriotic essay), in which he praised the traditions of CymeCyme (Aeolis)
Cyme was an Aeol city in Aeolis close to the kingdom of Lydia. The Aeolians regarded Cyme as the largest and most important of their twelve cities, which were located on the coastline of Asia Minor...
. He also wrote Peri heurematon, a book about inventions, and Peri lexeos, "On Style".
Other works attributed to him were:
- A Treatise on Discoveries
- Respecting Good and Evil Things
- On Remarkable Things in Various Countries (it is doubtful whether these were separate works, or just extracts from the Histories)
- A Treatise on my Country, on the history and antiquities of Cyme
- An Essay on Style, his only rhetorical work, which is occasionally mentioned by the rhetorician TheonTheonTheon may refer to:* Theon of Samos, painter* Theon of Smyrna , philosopher and mathematician* Theon of Alexandria , last curator of the Alexandrian Library* Theon , literary critic and lexicographer...
.
Despite having written all these works, nothing but isolated fragments survived from the ancient world
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
. His entire work has been lost.
Critiques
His surviving writings all show a certain lack of passion, in spite of his keen interest in matters of style, and of political partisanship, except for his enthusiasm for Cyme. According to ancient writers, he was respected as an able and thorough, though somewhat dull historiographer.He was commended for drawing (though not always) a sharp line of demarcation between the mythical and historical; he even recognized that a profusion of detail, though lending corroborative force to accounts of recent events, is ground for suspicion, in reports of far-distant history. His style was high-flown and artificial, as was natural considering his early training, and he frequently sacrificed truth to rhetoric effect; but, according to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, he and Theopompus were the only historical writers whose language was accurate and finished.
Ephorus and astronomy
Ephorus reported that a cometComet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
split apart as far back as the winter of 372–373 BC.