Éphore de Cumes

See also: Éphore

Éphore of Cymé or Éphore of Cumes , was a famous speaker and historian of the traditional time of Greek civilization (fourth century BC). Towards 352 before Jesus-Christ, was of Cymé in Asia Mineure. He was the disciple of Isocrate and composed in, under his council, a universal Histoire of the Greeks and other people since the return of the Héraclides until -340, whose scientists regret the loss.

Biography

Éphore was sufficiently famous at its time, to have - much more tardily - summer the object of a note in the catalog of Suidas.

According to the testimony isolated from Clement of Alexandria, in its work Hellenika it would have continued its account until in 333 av. J. - C.. This late date for the completion of its account could be explained by the fact why his/her own Demophilos son republished and supplemented paternal work.

In any event, the period described in its work is invaluable to specify the time of activity of this historian.

Éphore was a disciple of the famous rhetor Isocrate, and undoubtedly a school-fellow of another extremely known historian at the time Théopompe. A curious anecdote of Plutarque (of stoi. repug.10) indicates that he was shown of conspiracy against the king Alexandre Large the, but that he was victoriously discharged from this charge by defending him even with courage in front of the king. If this anecdote is veracious, it reveals the strength of character of this historian, as his address in the rhetoric field. For the remainder little information on the life of Éphore remains.

Its work

Its major work is entitled Helléniques in 30 books. It makes begin its narration with the return from the Héraclides, or according to Suidas by the Trojan War, to complete its account in 341 av. J. - C. by the description of the seat of Périnthe. After his death his/her son called Démophilus completed his work.

It was anxious to confront its sources as a fragment of its foreword reveals it. Nevertheless its work of historian was very early criticized by another historian Timée for his inaccuracies, then by philosophers like Alexinos, or Straton de Lampsaque. On the other hand Polybe in its stories, speaks about Éphore and its work in rather eulogistic terms.

However the various fragments which remain of its work rather make think that these criticisms were often partial. Indeed in its first books, it knew to introduce the most various people, like their lifestyles. Attached to collect the tradition of the logographes, well before that of the mythographes, it made critical work for its subject: one period - that succeeding the Trojan War - print of many legends.

The survival of its work

Many writers of antiquity, such as Strabon, quoted, even recopied its work. It is the case of Diodore of Sicily in its Historical Bibliothèque .

In addition a current controversy animates the contemporary, unquestionable scholars enquiring as Edward Mr. Walker estimate that the fragments of the Helléniques of Oxyrhynque could be the vestiges of the great history of Éphore. In support of his demonstration this researcher advances arguments on the similarity in the narration, and syntax between these fragments of papyrus and certain books written by Diodore of Sicily.

Source

  • according to portable historical Dictionary containing the history of the patriarchs, the princes, Hebrew, of the emperors, kings etc . Paris, at Didot, new edition 1755.

See too

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