Hippys of Rhegium (Ἵππυς ὁ Ῥηγῖνος) was a Greek historian from southern Italy, active in the late fifth or early fourth century BCE and considered one of the earliest historians of the western Greek world [1]. Though the Suda identifies him as a contemporary of Darius I, this is likely an error, as his work shows knowledge of later events [1][2]. He wrote in the Doric dialect and provided a foundational chronological and mythological framework for the history of Magna Graecia, blending local traditions with broader Greek myth-history [1].

His known work is the Sikelika or Italika, a history of Sicily and Italy. The text is lost and survives only in fragments and testimonia cited by later authors [1][2].

Hippys’s significance lies in his role as a source for later historians like Ephorus and Diodorus Siculus [1]. His methodology represents an early stage of Greek historiography, situated between mythographic tradition and critical history, and his use of Doric marks his work as part of a distinct regional tradition.

Sources 1. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-3106 2. Perseus Digital Library, Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Dhippys-bio-1