Alexander Polyhistor

Lucius Cornelius Alexander Polyhistor (* around 100 BC; † around 40 BC) was an ancient Greek scholar. Because of his diverse studies he was nicknamed polyhistor . The majority of his works are now lost, but some quotes and fragments preserved by other writers shed an interesting light on the history and culture of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Alexander Polyhistor was born in Miletus or Myndos in Caria . From Sulla during the First Mithridatic war captured and taken to Rome, he took on his release the name of Cornelius, and continued to live in Italy. He accompanied Crassus on his campaigns against the Parthians .

Alexander's most important treatise consisted of 42 books on historical and geographical questions from almost every country in the ancient world. His second important work deals with the Jews. It contains excerpts from Jewish writers who are otherwise unknown. Alexander's students included u. a. Gaius Iulius Hyginus , a Latin writer and friend of Ovid who was appointed head of the Palatine Library by the Emperor Augustus .

Text output

• The Fragments of the Greek Historians , No. 273
• Nikolaus Walter (ed.): Jewish writings from Hellenistic-Roman times. Volumes I / 2 and III / 2. Gütersloh 1975–1976

literature

• Richard Goulet, Jean-Pierre Mahé: Alexandros de Milet, dit Polyhistôr. In: Richard Goulet (ed.): Dictionnaire des philosophes antiques. Volume 1, CNRS, Paris 1989, ISBN 2-222-04042-6 , pp. 144 f.
• Eduard Schwartz : Alexandros 88 . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume I, 2, Stuttgart 1894, Sp. 1449-1452 (outdated state of research).

Web links

• Oleg Romanov:  Alexander Polyhistor (approx. 105 BCE - 35 BCE). In: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy .
• Technology Museum of Thessaloniki ( Memento of August 13, 2004 in the Internet Archive )