Life The name Pittacus is primarily associated with Pittacus of Mytilene (c. 640–568 BCE), one of the Seven Sages [1][2][3]. No biographical information exists for a later author of this name, indicating the Pittacus Letters are a pseudepigraphical work from the Hellenistic or Imperial period (3rd century BCE–3rd century CE), composed under the sage’s authoritative name.

Works The sole known work is the pseudepigraphical Letters of Pittacus (Πιττάκου Ἐπιστολή), a collection in epistolary format. The approved sources do not detail its specific content or the number of individual letters.

Significance The work is a clear example of pseudepigraphy, a common practice for engaging with classical authority [4]. Its classification under rhetoric suggests it served as a model for epistolary style or a rhetorical exercise. Its significance lies in illustrating the later reception of the Seven Sages tradition and the conventions of pseudepigraphical literature in antiquity.

Sources 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Pittacus of Mytilene): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/seven-sages/#Pitt 2. Encyclopædia Britannica (Pittacus of Mytilene): https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pittacus 3. World History Encyclopedia (Seven Sages): https://www.worldhistory.org/Seven_Sages/ 4. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics (Pseudepigrapha, Greek): https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-5362