PITERMO DI EFESO (FGRHIST 80) E LA STORIOGRAFIA ELLENISTICA PREPOLIBIANA

Abstract

A careful analysis of the surviving fragments of Pythermus from Ephesos (FGrHist 80) lets us assume that both Phylarchus (FGrHist 81) and Hegesander from Delphi (FHG IV) drew some important notices on Antiochus II Theos and his court from him. Pythermus can be therefore inserted in the context of the Hellenistic historiography preceding the Histories of Polybius: the evidence at our
disposal leads us to conclude that this author was interested in mirabilia, anecdotical examples and, above all, moralistic narrations on personages connected with the Hellenistic royal courts.