Life Archelaus of Chersonesus in Egypt (Ἀρχέλαος ὁ Χερσονησίτης) was a Hellenistic historian of the 3rd century BCE. His ethnics indicate he was from the Chersonesus region in the Nile Delta of Ptolemaic Egypt [1]. No details of his life or background survive.

Works He is credited with two lost prose works in Koine Greek: On the River Nile (Περὶ τοῦ Νείλου) and Aigyptiaka (Αἰγυπτιακά) [1]. These titles are preserved only in later citations, such as by the Byzantine patriarch Photius, and their specific content is unknown.

Significance Archelaus represents a minor figure within the Hellenistic tradition of Egyptian ethnography. His work on the Nile places him among Greek authors engaged in geographic and scientific inquiry about Egypt. While his contributions cannot be assessed due to the loss of his texts, his recorded existence underscores the persistent Greek literary interest in Egypt under Ptolemaic rule.

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library, "A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, Archelaus": http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Darchelaus-bio-23