Eumaeus the Historian (Εὔμαιος ὁ Ἱστορικός) was a Hellenistic author active between the 3rd century BCE and the 2nd century CE. No biographical details survive. The name is known from Homer's Odyssey, where Eumaeus is the loyal swineherd of Odysseus [1].

A single fragmentary work is attributed to him. The 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia Suda records an Eumaeus who wrote a geographical treatise titled On Islands (Περὶ νήσων) [2]. This lost work, surviving only in citations, described various islands in the periplus style common to Hellenistic geography.

Eumaeus is a minor and poorly attested figure. His significance rests entirely on his later citation as a source by geographers and compilers, such as Strabo [2]. The exceptionally broad range assigned to his dates indicates significant scholarly uncertainty about his historical existence, suggesting he may be a figure of legend or confused attribution.

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library: Homer, Odyssey 14.1-533 (Eumaeus the swineherd). http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0136%3Abook%3D14%3Acard%3D1 2. ToposText: Suda Encyclopedia, entry epsilon.3800 (Eumaeus). https://topostext.org/work/206#epsilon.3800