Cephalion (Κεφαλίων ὁ ἱστορικός) was a Greek historian and rhetor from Ionia who lived during the 2nd century CE. The Byzantine scholar Photius is the primary source for his life and work, though no further biographical details survive [1].

He authored a single, lost work titled Historiae or Mousai (The Muses). Photius summarizes it as a universal history in nine books—each named for a Muse—spanning from the Assyrian king Ninus to the death of Alexander the Great. Photius criticized its overly concise and epitomized style as obscure [1].

Cephalion’s significance lies in his role as a compiler, representing a historiographical conceit of the Imperial period. His structured synthesis of ancient history into a single narrative framework offers insight into Greek historiography under Roman rule.

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0626%3Asection%3D68 (Photius, Bibliotheca, Cod. 68, which summarizes Cephalion's work).