Nymphis (), son of Xenagoras, a native of

Heraclea Pontica Heraclea Pontica (; ; , ), known in Byzantine and later times as Pontoheraclea (), was an ancient city on the coast of Bithynia in Asia Minor, at the mouth of the river Lycus. The site is now the location of the modern city Karadeniz Ereğli, in ...

, lived in the middle of the third century BC, and was a person of distinction in his native land, as well as a historical writer of some note. He was sent as ambassador to the

Galatia Galatia (; , ''Galatía'') was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia, roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir in modern Turkey. Galatia was named after the Gauls from Thrace (cf. Tylis), who settled here ...

ns to propitiate that people, when the inhabitants of Heraclea Pontica had offended them by assisting

Mithridates II of Pontus Mithridates II (Greek: Mιθριδάτης; lived 3rd century BC), third king of Pontus and son of Ariobarzanes, whom he succeeded on the throne. Early life He was a minor when his father died, but the date of his accession cannot be determi ...

, the son of

Ariobarzanes of Pontus Ariobarzanes (Greek: Ἀριoβαρζάνης; reigned 266 BC – c. 250 BC) was the second king of Pontus, succeeding his father Mithridates I Ctistes in 266 BC. He died in an uncertain date between 258 and 240 BC. He obtained possession of the ...

, with whom the Galatians were at war. As Ariobarzanes was succeeded by this Mithridates about 240 BCE, we may refer the embassy to this year. Memnon likewise mentions (c. 11) a Nymphis as one of the exiles in 281 BCE, when

Seleucus I Nicator Seleucus I Nicator (; Ancient Greek, Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, ''Séleukos Nikátōr'', "Seleucus the Victorious"; ) was a Ancient Macedonians, Macedonian Greek general, officer and successor of Alexander the Great who went on to fo ...

, after the death of

Lysimachus Lysimachus (; Greek language, Greek: Λυσίμαχος, ''Lysimachos''; c. 360 BC – 281 BC) was a Thessaly, Thessalian officer and Diadochi, successor of Alexander the Great, who in 306 BC, became king of Thrace, Anatolia, Asia Minor and Mace ...

, threatened Heracleia; but notwithstanding the remark of Clinton (sub anno 281) the interval of forty-one years between the two events just mentioned, leads to the conclusion that the latter Nymphis was a different person from the historian, more especially as Memnon, in the former case, expressly distinguishes Nymphis by the epithet "historian" (ὁ ἱστορικός). Nymphis was the author of three works, which are referred to by the ancient writers: *''Concerning Alexander, his successors, and their descendants'' (Περὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ τῶν Διαδόχων), in twenty-four books. This work ended at the accession of

Ptolemy III Euergetes Ptolemy III Euergetes (, "Ptolemy the Euergetes, Benefactor"; c. 280 – November/December 222 BC) was the third pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt from 246 to 222 BC. The Ptolemaic Kingdom reached the height of its military and economic ...

in 246 BCE. *''Concerning Heraclea Pontica'' (Περὶ Ἡερακλείας), in thirteen books, gave the history of his native city to the overthrow of the tyrants in 281 BCE. *''Circumnavigating Asia'' (Περίπλους Ἀσίας)Athen. xiii. p. 596, e.

Notes

{{Authority control People from Bithynia Ancient Greek historians known only from secondary sources 3rd-century BC Greek historians Ancient Greek biographers