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 372 pliny's FATUEAL HISTOET. [Book IV. lian Myrsilus'^, Alexander Polyliistor ^, Thucydides '', Dosiades^, Anaximander ^, Philistides Mallotes '^, Dio- nysius ^, Aristides ^, Callidemus ^°, Menseclimus ", Agla- been ascribed a Description of the Uniyerse, of which a fragment still survives. 1 Of Tauromenium, in Sicily ; a celebrated historian, who flourished about the year B.C. 300. He was banished from SicHy by Agathocles, and passed his exile at Athens. He composed a History of Sicily, from the earUest times to the year B.C. 264. The value of his history has been gravely attacked by Polybius ; but there is httle doubt that it possessed very considerable merit. Of tliis, and other works of Timseus, only a few fragments survive. 2 A Greek historian ; a native of Lesbos. When he lived is unknown. Dionysius, of Hahcarnassus, has borrowed from him a portion of his ac- count of the Pelasgians. He is said to have been the author of the notion that the Tyrrhenians, in consequence of then* wanderings after they left their original settlement, got the name of irekapyoi, or " storks." He is supposed to have written a History of Lesbos, as also a work called " Historical Paradoxes." ^ gee end of B. iii. ■* See end of B. iii. ■ ^ Of tliis author nothing whatever seems to be known. ^ Of Miletus, bom B.C. 610. One of the earhest philosophers of the Ionian school, and said to be a pupil of Thales. Unless Pherecydes of Scyros be an exception, he was the first author of a philosophical treatise in Grreek prose. Other writmgs are ascribed to lum by Suidas ; but, no doubt, on insufficient grounds. Of his treatise, which seems to have contained summary statements of his opinions, no remains exist. 7 Of this writer nothing whatever is known, beyond the fact that, from his name, he seems to have been a native of MaUus, in Cihcia. 8 It seems impossible to say which, out of the vast number of the authors who bore this name, is the one here referred to. It is not im- probable that Dionysius of Chalcis, a Greek liistorian who hved before the Cln-istian era, is meant. He wi'ote a work on the Foundation of Towns, in five books, which is frequ^ently referred to by the ancients. It is not probable that the author of the Periegesis, or " Description of the World," is referred to, as that book bears internal marks of having been compiled in the third or fom'th century of the Christian era. 8 Of Miletus. He was the author of the " Milesiaca," a romance of licentious character, which was translated into Latin by L. Cornehus Sisenna. He is looked upon as the inventor of the Greek romance, and the title of his work is supposed to have given rise to the term Milesian^ as apphed to works of fiction. ^^ A Greek author, of whom nothing is known, except that PHny, and after him SoUnus, refer to him as the authority for the statement that Euboea was oinginaUy called Chalcis, from the fact of (xaXwds) copper being first discovered there. ^^ Probably Menfcchmus of Sicyon, who wrote a book on Actors, a History of Alexander the Great, and a book on Sicyon. Suidas says that he flovu*ished in the time of the successors of Alexander.