HEKATAEUS of Miletus, the logographer; born in 549 B.C., died soon after the battle of Plataea. He was the author of two works--(1) περίοδος γῆς; and (2) γενεηλογίαι. The _Periodos_ deals in two books, first with Europe, then with Asia and Libya. The quotation in the text is from his genealogies (Lübker).
ION of Chios, poet, historian, and philosopher, highly distinguished among his contemporaries, and mentioned by Strabo among the celebrated men of the island. He won the tragic prize at Athens in 452 B.C., and Aristophanes (_Peace_, 421 B.C.) speaks of him as already dead. He was not less celebrated as an elegiac poet, and we still possess some specimens of his elegies, which are characterised by an Anacreontic spirit, a cheerful, joyous tone, and even by a certain degree of inspiration. He wrote also Skolia, Hymns, and Epigrams, and was a pretty voluminous writer in prose (Pauly). Compare the Scholiast on Ar. _Peace_, 801.
KALLISTHENES of Olynthus, a near relative of Aristotle; born in 360, and educated by the philosopher as fellow-pupil with Alexander, afterwards the Great. He subsequently visited Athens, where he enjoyed the friendship of Theophrastus, and devoted himself to history and natural philosophy. He afterwards accompanied Alexander on his Asiatic expedition, but soon became obnoxious to the tyrant on account of his independent and manly bearing, which he carried even to the extreme of rudeness and arrogance. He at last excited the enmity of Alexander to such a degree that the latter took the opportunity afforded by the conspiracy of Hermolaus, in which Kallisthenes was accused of participating, to rid himself of his former school companion, whom he caused to be put to death. He was the author of various historical and scientific works. Of the latter two are mentioned--(1) _On the Nature of the Eye_; (2) _On the Nature of Plants_. Among his historical works are mentioned (1) the _Phocian War_ (read “Phocicum” for v. l. “Troikum” in Cic. _Epp. ad Div._ v. 12); (2) a _History of Greece_ in ten books; (3) τὰ Περσικά, apparently identical with the description of Alexander’s march, of which we still possess fragments. As an historian he seems to have displayed an undue love of recording signs and wonders. Polybius, however (vi. 45), classes him among the best historical writers. His style is said by Cicero (_de Or._ ii. 14) to approximate to the rhetorical (Pauly).