This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Xanthus" historian – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(December 2006) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

This articlerelies largely or entirely on asingle source. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Xanthus" historian – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(October 2021)

Xanthus of Lydia (Greek:Ξάνθος ὁ Λυδός,Xanthos ho Lydos) was aGreekhistorian,logographer and citizen ofLydia who, during the mid-fifth century BC, wrote texts on the history ofLydia known asLydiaca (Λυδιακά), a work which was highly commended byDionysius of Halicarnassus.^[1] Xanthus also wrote occasionally about geology. It is believed that Xanthus was the earliest historian to have written a significant amount on the topic of Lydian history. He is also believed to have written a work entitledMagica (Mαγικά), as well as one entitledLife ofEmpedocles. It is believed that Xanthus had some knowledge ofPersian traditions, and it is plausible that he, a Lydian, would write about Persian religion, but it seems unlikely due to the available evidence.^[2] His seat was believed to be atSardis, the capital. A contemporary and colleague ofHerodotus, most of his writings concerned the lineage and deeds of theLydian kings. Xanthus was known for writing in the traditionalIonian style of trying to establish the scene of popular myths. One example of Xanthus using this type of writing style is when he placed the scene of the "giant's punishment" inKatakekaumene. Xanthus was also known for adapting historical events that were often considered boring into passages that the generalGreek public would enjoy.^[3] Xanthus was one of the chief authorities used byNicolaus of Damascus.

According to references fromStephanus of Byzantium, theLydiaca (Greek:Λυδιακά,Ludiaka) is believed to be composed of four different books. Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell how Xanthus arranged his material within the books as well as what amount of it would deal with pre-Mermnad dynasty times (i.e. before 700 BC).

Due to his tendency of using anecdotes, it is believed that his historical arrangements within his works may have been loose, like Herodotus. According to a reference from Stephanus of Byzantium, it is believed that part of book IV of theLydiaca describes the founding ofAscalon, a centre for the cult ofAtargatis, from the point of view of a Lydian namedAscalus, the son of Hymenaeus (also known as Tymenaeus) during the rule of king Alkimos (also known as Akiamos).

The credibility ofLydiaca has been questioned numerous times due to conflicting quotations and due to the fact that only fragments of Xanthus' works have survived.Dionysius of Halicarnassus, gives Xanthus the most credibility, because in his paper aboutThucydides, he mentions that most historians earlier thanHerodotus had “mythographic tendencies,” but gives Xanthus a fair amount of praise. Dionysius of Halicarnassus refers to Xanthus as “a man with an exceptionally sound knowledge of early history, who must be considered second to none in establishing the history of his own country” (I. 28.).

For an intelligent writer like Dionysius to give such a strong statement about Xanthus and his works, it is inferred that he came to his conclusion by studying the original Lydiacaor at leastepitome ofMenippus, and not by reading the unreliable quotations by Scytobrachion. Many interpret this as evidence that Xanthus’s work was substantive and legitimate, and not just a fabrication of some other writer such as Scytobrachion who attributed quotes to Xanthus that were never said and were actually his own statements.^[4] According toStrabo, in the first book of the Lydiaca Xanthus mentions finding rocks in the shape of seashells in many inland areas, such asArmenia,Matiene, and Lower Phrygia, and from this observation he speculates that the entireAnatolian Peninsula was once under water (I. 3, 4).^[5]

TheMagica (Greek:Mαγικά,Magika) is referenced once byClement of Alexandria, but this reference’s credibility is often questioned since Clement of Alexandria also unreliably referenced Xanthus for the date of the founding ofThasos.^[6]

• Easterling, P. E. andBernard Knox. Greek Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1985. Google Books. Web. 29 Jan. 2010.Greek Literature.
• Marincola, John. Greek Historians. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2001. Google Books. Web. 29 Jan. 2010.Greek Historians.
• Pearson, Lionel. Early Ionian Historians. London: Oxford UP, 1939. Print.
• Schmitt, Rüdiger (2016). "XANTHUS THE LYDIAN".Encyclopaedia Iranica.
• Seters, John Van. In Search of History: Historiography in the Ancient World and the Origins of Biblical History. New Haven: Yale UP, 1983. Google Books. Web. 29 Jan. 2010.In Search of History: Historiography in the Ancient World and the Origins of Biblical History.
• Tozer, Henry Fanshawe, and Max Cary. A History of Ancient Geography, Volume 1. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, n.d. Google Books. Web. 29 Jan. 2010.A History of Ancient Geography, Volume 1.

• Classical-era Greek historians
• Historians from ancient Anatolia
• 5th-century BC Greek historians
• Lydia
• Historians from the Achaemenid Empire
• Ancient Greek historians known only from secondary sources

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles needing additional references from December 2006
• All articles needing additional references
• Articles needing additional references from October 2021
• Articles containing Greek-language text