Callisthenes

Callisthenes of Olynthus ((/kəˈlɪsθəˌniːz/); Greek: Καλλισθένης; c. 360 – 328 BC) was a Greek historian. He was the son of Hero (niece of Aristotle), the daughter of Proxenus of Atarneus and Arimneste, which made him the great nephew of Aristotle by his sister Arimneste. They first met when Aristotle tutored Alexander the Great. Through his great-uncle's influence, he was later appointed to attend Alexander the Great on his Asiatic expedition as a professional historian.

Asiatic expedition

Fate

During the first years of Alexander's campaign in Asia, Callisthenes showered praises upon the Macedonian conqueror. As the king and army penetrated further into Asia, however, Callisthenes' tone began to change. He began to sharply criticize Alexander's adoption of Persian customs, with special scorn for Alexander's growing desire that those who presented themselves before him perform the servile ceremony of proskynesis. Callisthenes was later implicated in a treasonous conspiracy and thrown into prison, where he died from torture or disease.

Callisthenes (disambiguation)

Callisthenes (/kəˈlɪsθəˌniːz/) can refer to any of the following:

Callisthenes (Syrian)

Callisthenes (/kəˈlɪsθəˌniːz/) was a Syrian who was believed to have been concerned in the burning of the gates of the Temple during the persecution to which the Jews were subjected in the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. When the Jews were celebrating their subsequent victory over Nicanor (135 BC), they captured Callisthenes, who had taken refuge in a little house, and burned him to death. "And so he received a reward meet for his wickedness" (II Macc. viii. 33)

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Callisthenes". Jewish Encyclopedia. 1901–1906.