Acusilaus of Argos (Ἀκουσίλαος ὁ Ἀργεῖος) was an early Greek mythographer and genealogist active in the late sixth or early fifth century BCE. Ancient sources, including the Suda, record his Argive origin, identify his father as Cabas (or Scabras), and place him chronologically around the time of Cyrus or Darius I [1][2]. He is traditionally grouped with early prose writers like Hecataeus of Miletus as a pioneer of historical writing preceding Herodotus.

His major work was the Genealogies or Histories (Γενεαλογίαι or Ἱστορίαι), a prose treatise systematizing mythical traditions from the origins of the cosmos to the heroic age [1][2][3]. Now lost, it survives in fragments cited by later authors, covering theogonic material and heroic genealogies, often presenting variants of myths from Hesiod and the epic cycle. While some sources mention a work On Argos (Περὶ Ἄργους), this is likely part of his genealogical compilation [2].

Acusilaus holds significance as one of the earliest Greek prose authors. His compilation helped standardize and transmit versions of Greek myths, forming a crucial source for later mythographers and representing an important step in the development of early Greek historical thought, particularly for Argive traditions [1][2][3].

Sources 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Stanford University): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/herodotus/#EarlLog 2. Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0062%3Aentry%3Dacusilaus-harpers 3. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics (Oxford University Press): https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-27