Scythinus of Teos (Σκυθῖνος ὁ Τήιος)

Life Scythinus was a poet from the Ionian city of Teos, active in the late 5th or early 4th century BCE. He is known primarily for his association with the philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus. According to Diogenes Laertius, Scythinus attempted to put the doctrines of Heraclitus into verse [1].

Works His work is known only through fragments and testimonia. The Suda attributes three works to him: Iamboi (Ἰάμβοι), Elegies (Ἐλεγεῖαι), and On Nature (Περὶ φύσεως) [2]. All are lost, with his primary known endeavor being the versification of Heraclitus’s philosophy.

Significance Scythinus represents an early effort to present philosophical ideas in poetic form, blending Ionic iambic poetry with Presocratic speculation. His recorded project provides a glimpse into diverse methods of philosophical dissemination in the Classical period.

Sources 1. Diogenes Laertius, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers, Book IX (Perseus Digital Library): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0258%3Abook%3D9%3Achapter%3D1 2. Suda, entry on Scythinus (ToposText): https://topostext.org/work/529#iota.433