Isyllus of Epidaurus (Ἴσυλλος ὁ Ἐπιδαύριος) was a citizen of Epidaurus active in the late 4th century BCE. His life is known from a lengthy inscription he commissioned at the sanctuary of Asclepius, which mentions a Delphic oracle consultation dated to either 331/0 or 327/6 BCE [1][2]. The inscription reveals him as a local figure of standing who used his influence to shape Epidaurus's religious and political life [1][2].

His sole surviving work is a Sacral Law and Hymns inscription from Epidaurus. This extant stone preserves two poetic compositions: a paean to Asclepius and a hymn to Apollo and Asclepius, framed by prose narratives detailing their context and the sacred law he proposed [1][2][3].

Isyllus is significant as an epigraphic source for Hellenistic Epidaurus, illustrating how local elites used Panhellenic sanctuaries like Delphi to legitimize civic reforms [1]. His hymns are valuable examples of late classical Doric cult poetry [2][3], and their content reflects the political use of myth to assert territorial claims in the Peloponnese after the rise of Macedon [1].

Sources 1. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics (Oxford University Press): https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-3382 2. Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0136%3Abook%3D4%3Achapter%3D9%3Asection%3D10 3. ToposText (Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation): https://topostext.org/work/741#I.1