Hellanicus of Lesbos (Ἑλλάνικος ὁ Λέσβιος) Life Hellanicus of Lesbos was a Greek logographer and mythographer active in the latter half of the 5th century BCE, a contemporary of Herodotus and slightly older than Thucydides [1][2]. Born around 480 BCE and dying around 395 BCE, he spent time at the Macedonian court of Amyntas I and in Athens [3]. His extensive travels and research, consulting local archives and traditions, positioned him as a pivotal figure in the transition from mythographic storytelling to more systematic historical inquiry [1][2].

Works His prolific output survives only in fragments and included local histories (like the influential Atthis), ethnographies (Aigyptiaka, Persika), and mythographic-genealogical treatises (Phoronis) [1][2][3]. He also produced chronological works, such as the Priestesses of Hera at Argos, innovating by using such lists to date events [1][2]. Contrary to some minimal counts, scholarly sources note he wrote over two dozen works [1][3].

Significance Hellanicus is a foundational figure in Greek historiography, systematically organizing Greek myth, local history, and barbarian customs into coherent narratives and chronological frameworks [1][2]. Though later historians criticized his methods, his works served as essential source material for subsequent historians, mythographers, and tragedians, preserving many otherwise lost local traditions [3].

Sources 1. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics (Oxford University Press): https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-2986 2. Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.): https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hellanicus-of-Lesbos 3. World History Encyclopedia (World History Foundation): https://www.worldhistory.org/Hellanicus_of_Lesbos/