Scythinus of Teos (Σκύθινος ὁ Τήϊος) Scythinus was a poet and philosopher from the Ionian city of Teos, active in the late fifth or early fourth century BCE [1]. He is known primarily for his association with the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus. According to Diogenes Laërtius, Scythinus attempted to render the doctrines of Heraclitus into verse [1][2].

His only attested work is On Nature (Περὶ φύσεως), a didactic poem composed in iambic trimeter. The work, which presented Heraclitean philosophy, is now lost and survives only through testimonia [1][2].

Scythinus holds a minor place in the history of philosophy as an early figure in the reception of Heraclitean thought. His versification of Heraclitus's obscure prose represents an early form of philosophical exegesis and popularization [1]. His name was preserved in later biographical tradition, notably in the tenth-century Byzantine encyclopedia, the Suda [2].

Sources 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Plato.stanford.edu): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/heraclitus/ (see section 1.2, "Sources") 2. Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University): http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dsku%2Fqinos (entry for "Σκύθινος" in the Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon, which cites Diogenes Laërtius and the Suda)