Agathocles (writer)

Agathocles (Gr. polytonic|Ἀγαθοκλῆς, fl. 3rd century BC) was a Greek histo­rian who wrote a history of Cyzicus (polytonic|περὶ Κυζίκου) in the Ionic dialect.Citation
last = Smith
first = William
author-link = William Smith (lexicographer)
contribution = Agathocles
editor-last = Smith
editor-first = William
title = Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
volume = 1
pages = 65
publisher =
place = Boston
year = 1867
contribution-url = http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0074.html ] [cite book
last = Lesky
first = Albin
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = History of Greek Literature
publisher = Hackett Publishing Company
date = 1996
location = Indianapolis
pages = 624
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=QKiIwZxoH_gC&pg=PA624&dq=agathocles+cyzicus&sig=FtchJ6DrcF-ckFy5DPCvlAPE5iU
doi =
id =
isbn = 0-87220-350-6] He is called by Athenaeus both a Babylonian [Athenaeus, i. p. 30, a. ix. p. 375, a] and a Cyzican. [Athenaeus xiv. p. 649, f] He may originally have come from Babylon, and have settled at Cyzicus. The first and third books are referred to by Athenaeus. [Athenaeus, ix. p. 375, f., xii. p. 515, a] The time at which Agathocles lived is unknown, and his work is now lost; but it seems to have been extensively read in antiquity, as it is referred to by Cicero, [Cicero, "De Divinatione" i. 24] Pliny, [Pliny the Elder, "Naturalis Historia" elenchus of books iv. v. vi] and other ancient writers. Agathocles also spoke of the origin of Rome. [Festus "s. v. Romam"] [Solinus, "Polyhistor" 1] The scholiast on Apollonius [iv. 761] cites Memoirs (polytonic|ὑπομνήματα) by an Agathocles, who is usually supposed to be the same as the above-mentioned one. [Compare Schol. "ad Hes. Theog." 485] [Stephanus of Byzantium "s. v." polytonic|Вέσβικος] ["Etymol. M. s. v." polytonic|Δίκτη]

There are several other writers of the same name, whose works are lost to us but are mentioned by later writers:
*Agathocles of Atrax, who wrote a work on fishing. [polytonic|ἁλιευτικὰ, "Suda", 's.v." polytonic|Κικίλιος]
*Agathocles of Chios, who wrote a work on agriculture. [Varro, and Columella, "De Re Rustica" i. 1] [Pliny the Elder, "Naturalis Historia" xxii. 44]
*Agathocles of Miletus, who wrote a work on rivers. [Plutarch, "de Fluv." p. 1153, c]
*Agathocles of Samos, who wrote a work on the constitution of Pessinus. [Plutarch, "de Fluv." p. 1159, a]

References