Life The Amasis Letters (Ἀμάσιδος Ἐπιστολαί) are a pseudepigraphical collection of fictional letters attributed to the Egyptian pharaoh Amasis II (c. 570–526 BCE), a contemporary of Polycrates of Samos [1]. The work is a product of Greek literary tradition, composed as a rhetorical exercise, though its precise date of compilation remains uncertain [2].

Works The sole known work is the Amasis Letters, a fragmentary collection preserved primarily through citations in later authors such as Athenaeus [1][2].

Significance This collection is a significant early example of Greek fictional epistolography, part of a broader tradition of pseudonymous letters attributed to figures like Phalaris or Socrates used for rhetorical education [2]. It contributes to the Greek literary portrayal of Amasis as a wise ruler, an image also found in Herodotus, and offers insight into the practice of composing such rhetorical exercises in the Hellenistic period and later [1][2].

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0126:book=3:chapter=40&highlight=Amasis 2. ToposText (Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation): https://topostext.org/work/206