Heracleides of Cyme

Heraclides of Cyme (* in Kyme, Asia Minor ) was an ancient Greek historian who lived about the middle of the 4th century BC.

Over the life of the Heraclides We know nothing. However, he is the author of a " Persian history" ( Persika ) in five books. From the work we are only fragments obtained ( The fragments of Greek historians No. 689 ), but include the important information, especially since the Persika were also used by Plutarch and Athenaeus. Plutarch used the work in his Life of the Great King Artaxerxes II, Athenaeus in his work Deipnosophistai. During the first part of Persika, probably in the first two books, especially Persia itself and the local customs were represented, addressed the second part of Persian history.

Heraclides provides a fairly detailed (and not moralizing ) insight into life at the Persian court of the great king Artaxerxes II instance, he describes the magnificent court life, and reports from the chasing concubines of the King ( pallakides ) and 300 women of the harem, who slept on the day but at night the king talked with singing and playing the harp ( Dinon of Colophon even speaks of 360 women). Likewise, the parties are described on the farm, where the guests and the Great King did not sit at the same table, but were separated by curtains. Also, the Friends of the Great King and the honors that Artaxerxes gave him Greeks well-meaning, are mentioned.

Although particularly in the earlier research, the credibility of the Heraclides was often doubted the value of the accounts is recognized in modern research.

Editions and translations

• Dominique Lenfant (ed. ): Les " Histoires Perses " de Dinon et d' Héraclide ( = Persika 13. ). Fragment édités, traduits et commented articles. De Boccard, Paris 2009, ISBN 978-2-7018-0255-8.