Pherecydes of Leros

Pherecydes of Athens was by Hecataeus of Miletus one of the first known Greek prose writer and historian at all, he is similar to Acusilaus of Argos to the so-called logographers expected an ancient Greek historian and genealogist of the 6th century BC.

His main work, the Historiai ( histories ), was built in the early 5th century BC and contained in ten books Attic genealogies of the time of the heroes ( mentioned among other Achilles and Ajax ) to the vicinity of his present. He was endeavoring to systematize the world of gods and heroes. Although Pherekydes dealt mainly with mythography, his work was also significant for the development of historiography, since he linked to the histories these descriptions with historical figures and events. Myth and history thus became a narrative.

The work has not survived, but numerous fragments. The preparation was carried out in a simple style. Pherekydes apparently not intended to create a " rationalistic adjusted " mythology, but also designed, for example, the theme to Jason and the Argonauts quite narrative. He put the " action of a jealous God " on the decision of the heroes and people as mainly history moving element and thus the (though influenced and guided ) human decision out what really constituted a novelty compared to a pure god -guided historical picture. According to ancient classification can Pherekydes not designate as a historian in the strict sense. But he is traditionally treated as such by the mentioned leadership Up prehistory to our own time.

Pherecydes authored several Katasterismen, of whom the former is particularly noteworthy about the Hyades, because he is the first to explain the constellation mythology.

The fragments are collected in Felix Jacoby's The fragments of Greek historians (No. 3). Of importance also are the fragments collected at Fowler. The fragments based on the edition of Fowler (including an English translation by William S. Morrison ) available in Brill 's New Jacoby (No. 3).