Life Pseudo-Heraclitus (Ψευδο-Ἡράκλειτος) is the anonymous author of a collection of pseudepigraphical letters composed under the name of the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus. No biographical details of the actual writer survive. Linguistic analysis dates the letters to the 1st or 2nd century CE, a period when fictional epistles attributed to famous historical figures were a popular literary genre in the Roman world [1][2].

Works The author’s sole known work is the Epistles (Ἐπιστολαί), a collection of nine short letters written in Koine Greek. The letters are fictional compositions in the persona of Heraclitus, addressed to figures such as Darius I of Persia, and survive as a complete example of Roman-era epistolary fiction [1][2].

Significance The Epistles are a significant artifact of ancient pseudepigrapha, offering insight into the later reception and literary embellishment of Heraclitus’s character, particularly his famed obscurity and misanthropy. The work is valuable for studies of philosophical pseudepigraphy, the development of the literary letter, and the posthumous influence (Nachleben) of pre-Socratic thinkers in the Roman Imperial period [1][2].

Sources 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Plato.stanford.edu): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/heraclitus/#PseuEpi 2. Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0620%3Asection%3D1