Menelaus the Historian (Μενέλαος ὁ ἱστορικός) was a Greek author of the 1st century BCE. No biographical details survive; he is known only through citations by later writers.

His sole attested work is a lost history of Egypt (Περὶ Αἰγύπτου or Αἰγυπτιακά), which survives in fragments. These are preserved primarily in Josephus’s Against Apion (1.15-16) and in the writings of Eusebius [1][2]. Josephus cites Menelaus’s account of the Hyksos period to argue for the antiquity of the Jewish people.

Menelaus is significant as a source used by later historians. His citation by Josephus indicates he was considered a credible authority on Egyptian history. His fragments contribute to understanding the transmission of Egyptian traditions by Greek historians in the Hellenistic period.

Sources 1. Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University): https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0216%3Abook%3D1%3Asection%3D15 2. ToposText (Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation): https://topostext.org/work/741#1.15