Democritus of Ephesus (Δημόκριτος ὁ Ἐφέσιος) was a Hellenistic historian from Ephesus in Ionia, active during the 3rd century BCE [1]. He is distinguished from the philosopher Democritus of Abdera. No substantive biographical details survive beyond his authorship of a local history.

His sole known work is a local history of Ephesus, titled Persika (Περσικά) or On Ephesus (Περὶ Ἐφέσου) [1][2]. The work is now lost, surviving only in fragments which indicate it treated the city’s foundation myths and early history [1].

Democritus represents the Hellenistic tradition of local history (horography or ktisis literature), which articulated civic identity through origins and legends [2]. His inclusion in ancient catalogs and citations by later grammarians, such as Athenaeus, confirm his place in the period’s scholarly landscape [1].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Democritus-of-Ephesus 2. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-2107