Memnon of Heraclea (Μέμνων ὁ Ἡρακλεώτης) was a Greek historian from Heraclea Pontica who lived during the 1st or 2nd century CE [1]. No biographical details survive beyond his origin and profession. His work identifies him as a local historian, or horographer, focused on his native city, a common genre in the period [1][2]. His floruit is inferred from his history’s coverage, which extends to the Roman civil wars after Julius Caesar’s death [1][2].

His sole known work is the History of Heraclea (Περὶ Ἡρακλείας), a local history surviving only in fragments. It is preserved primarily through excerpts in the 9th-century Bibliotheca of Photius (Codex 224) [1][2][3]. Photius’s summary indicates the history spanned 16 books, narrating events from the city’s mythical foundation up to the Mithridatic and Roman civil wars in the region [1][2][3].

Memnon’s significance lies in his value as a source for Black Sea and Hellenistic history. His fragments provide crucial, though sometimes legendary, information on Heraclea’s internal politics, its tyrants, and its interactions with Persia, Macedonia, and Rome [1][2]. The work preserves local traditions and data essential for studying Greek colonization and Roman expansion into Asia Minor [1][2][3].

Sources 1. Encyclopædia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Memnon-of-Heraclea 2. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-4042 3. Perseus Digital Library, Photius, Bibliotheca excerpts: https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0625%3Achapter%3D224