Aeneas of Stymphalus (Αἰνείας ὁ Στυμφάλιος) was a Greek military writer from the city of Stymphalus in Arcadia, active in the mid-4th century BCE [1]. No details of his personal life survive, but his work indicates practical military experience, suggesting he served as a soldier or commander [1][2].

His only known work is the Poliorketika (Πολιορκητικά), or On the Defence of Fortified Positions, a treatise on siegecraft and military strategy that survives, though possibly incomplete [1][2][3].

Aeneas is the earliest Greek military writer whose work survives to any substantial extent. His treatise provides crucial, practical evidence for 4th-century BCE warfare, fortification, and siege tactics prior to the Hellenistic period [1][2]. It covers sentry duties, cryptography, signaling, and defense against siege engines, serving as a key primary source for the realities of Greek warfare beyond pitched battle [1][3].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aeneas-the-Tactician 2. Perseus Digital Library, entry in Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Daeneas-bio-1 3. ToposText, entry for Aeneas of Stymphalus: https://topostext.org/people/1410