Cadmos of Miletus

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According to some ancient authors, Kadmos of Miletus ( Greek Κάδμος ὁ Μιλήσιος , Latinized Cadmus ) was the earliest of the so-called " logographers " or, in today's understanding, the ancient Greek historians .

Mention is made of Kadmos by Dionysios of Halicarnassus ( De Thucydide , Chapter 23), Flavius ​​Josephus ( Contra Apionem 1, 13), Strabon ( Geographika 1, 2, 6), Pliny the Elder ( Naturalis historia 5, 112 and 7, 205) as well the Central Byzantine Lexicon Suda . The dates fluctuate, today's historians, who assume an actual (at least possible) historical existence, assign it to the late 6th or early 5th century BC. Chr. To. However, some historians consider Kadmos of Miletus to be an ahistorical figure (see below).

In the Suda three people named Kadmos are mentioned, to whom the following information is attributed:

  • Kadmos, who is said to have been the inventor of the alphabet ( Suda k 21); note the relationship between this cadmos and the mythological figure of cadmos , who is said to have introduced the Phoenician alphabet in Greece.
  • Kadmos, son of Pandion , the first “ prose writer” (Greek λογογράφος, logographos), who is said to have lived a little later as a certain Orpheus (identification unclear), and the author of a history of the founding of Miletus and of Ionia in general in 4 books is ( Suda k 22).
  • Kadmos, son of Archelaus, who was the author of an atthika in 14 books and erotic poems ( Suda k 23).

Tradition has it that Kadmos of Miletus competes as the earliest prose author with Pherecytes of Athens . For Pliny the Elder ( Naturalis historia 7, 205) Pherecydes was the oldest prose writer, and Kadmos the oldest historian.

However, doubts about the authenticity of the author were already expressed in antiquity. Dionysius of Halicarnassus ( De Thucydide , Chapter 23) expressly writes that the works trading under the name "Kadmos" are combinations of other sources. Felix Jacoby viewed Kadmos von Milet in his basic RE article due to the contradicting sources and for methodological reasons as a “fraudulent author” and later assumed a forgery.

Source collection

The Fragments of the Greek Historians No. 489.

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Steve Mason (Ed.): Flavius ​​Josephus: Translation and Commentary. Volume 10 ( Against Apion ). Leiden 2007, p. 16, note 56 (very cautious and referring to the historical problem).
  2. ↑ Linda-Marie Günther : Herodot. Tübingen 2012, p. 17.
  3. ↑ Cf. Felix Jacoby: Kadmos 6. In: Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswwissenschaft (RE). Volume X, 2, Stuttgart 1919, Col. 1474 f. So also Hans Gärtner : Kadmos 3. In: Der Kleine Pauly (KlP). Volume 3, Stuttgart 1969, column 42.
personal data
SURNAME Cadmos of Miletus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Κάδμος ὁ Μιλήσιος (Greek); Cadmus (Latinized)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION ancient Greek historian (historicity disputed)
DATE OF BIRTH 6th century BC BC or 5th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 6th century BC BC or 5th century BC Chr.