Hermippus of Smyrna

Hermippus (Greek Ἕρμιππος ) from Smyrna (* 289/277 BC, † 208/204 BC) was an ancient Greek biographer and philosopher.

Hermippus developed the biography of the Peripatetics on. He himself did not belong at this school, but lived in Alexandria as a pupil of Callimachus. His works have survived only in fragments, he wrote numerous biographies of important Greeks including Pythagoras, Aristotle, and the Seven Sages of Greece. He is considered one of the most famous and most quoted ancient Greek biographer and many later ancient authors such as Plutarch or Flavius ​​Josephus, rely on him. The more literary than factual narrative style of his provided with numerous anecdotes biographies brought him among historians at the beginning of the 20th century the charge of a certain lack of objectivity and a unreliability. This estimate was later revised, however, as it has come to recognize that there are intentions of Hermippus and the ancient Greek historiography from those of modern historiography and therefore to assess, in a different context. In addition Hermippus had his anecdotes always occupied with sources, and not taken any rumors.

Suetonius is said for two reasons a similarity to Hermippus: Firstly can both talk and anecdotes incorporated, access to the other possessed both extensive source material, because Hermippus could to the library in Alexandria, while Suetonius at least temporarily had access to the imperial archives.

Sources and fragments

• Fritz Wehrli (eds.): Hermippus the calli Macheer. Schwabe, Basel and Stuttgart 1974, ISBN 3-7965-0600-3 ( critical edition with commentary)