Aristeas

Aristeas (Greek: Ἀριστέας) was a semi-legendary Greek poet and miracle-worker, a native of Proconnesus in Asia Minor, active ca. 7th century BCE. In book IV.13-16 of The Histories, Herodotus reports

Two hundred and forty years after his death, Aristeas appeared in Metapontum in southern Italy to command that a statue of himself be set up and a new altar dedicated to Apollo, saying that since his death he had been travelling with Apollo in the form of a sacred raven.

Arimaspea

Aristeas was supposed to have authored a poem called the Arimaspea, giving an account of travels in the far North. There he encountered a tribe called the Issedones, who told him of still more fantastic and northerly peoples: the one-eyed Arimaspi who battle gold-guarding griffins, and the Hyperboreans among whom Apollo lives during the winter.

Longinus excerpts a portion of the poem:

Similarly, the Chiliades of Ioannis Tzetzae quotes the Arimaspea. These two accounts form our entire knowledge of the poem, which is otherwise lost.

Aristeas (disambiguation)

Aristeas was a 7th-century BCE Greek poet.

Aristeas may also refer to: