Aristeas of Proconnesus: Facts and Interpretations The article seeks to single out the most reliable basis of our knowledge about Aristeas of Proconnesus and his poem, the Arimaspea. Three questions are considered: (1) who was Aristeas –... more
Aristeas of Proconnesus: Facts and Interpretations
The article seeks to single out the most reliable basis of our knowledge about Aristeas of Proconnesus and his poem, the Arimaspea. Three questions are considered: (1) who was Aristeas – an observant traveler or a mystic miracle-worker? (2) what was the content of the poem? (3) when did he live – in the 7th or the 6th cent. B.C.? The main conclusions are the following: (1) the sources presenting Aristeas as a mystic are not trustworthy; (2) Herodotus remains the main source for the Arimaspea, all attempts to expand our knowledge of its content through other sources failed; (3) attempts to date Aristeas failed as well.
