Ister
(
Ἴστρος), or ISTRUS.
1. A Greek historian, who is sometimes called a native of Cyrene, sometimes of Macedonia, and sometimes of Paphus, in the island of Cyprus. (Suid.
s. v. Ἴστρος.)
These contradictory statements are reconciled by Siebelis, in the work cited blow, by the supposition that Ister was born at Cyrene, that thence he proceeded with Callimachus to Alexandria, and afterwards lived for some time at Paphus, which was subject to the kings of Egypt. (Comp. Plut.
Quaest. Graec. 43, who calls him an Alexandrian.)
Ister is said to have been at first a slave of Callimachus, and afterwards his friend, and this circumstance determines the age of Istrus, who accordingly lived in the reign of Ptolemy Euergetes, i. e. between about B. C. 250 and 220. Polemon, who was either his contemporary or lived very shortly after him, wrote against Ister.
Works
Ister was the author of a considerable number of works, all of which are lost, with the exception of some fragments.
The most important among them was,--
1. an Atthis (Ἀτθίς)
Of which the sixteenth book is mentioned by Harpocration (
s. v. τραπεζοφόρος; comp.
s. v. ἐπενεγκεῖν.)
This work is often referred to under different titles, such as
Ἀττικά (
Athen. 3.74, xiii. p. 557;
Plut. Thes. 33)
τὰ τῆς συναγωγῆς,
Ἀττικαὶ συναγωγαί,
συναγωγή,
Ἄτακτα, and others.
Αἱ Ἀπόλλωνος ἐπιφανείαι, in which he treated of a variety of religious rites. (Plut.
de Mus. 14; Harpocrat.
s. v. φαρμακός; Phot.
Lex. s. v. Τριττύαν.)
Πτολεμαΐς. Some consider this work on the Egyptian town of Ptolemais to have been in verse, but nothing certain can be said about it. (
Athen. 10.478.)
Αἰγυπτίων ἀποικίαι, or the colonies of the Egyptians. (
Clem. Al. Strom. i. p. 322 ; Constantin. Porphyr.
de Themat. i. p. 13.)
Ἀργολικά, or a history of Argos. (
Athen. 14.650; Steph. Byz.
s. v. Ἀπία.)
Ἡλιακά (Steph. Byz.
s. v. Φύτειον; Schol.
in Platon. p. 380, ed. Bekker;
ad Pind. Ol. 6.55, 7.146.)
Συναγωγὴ τῶν Κρητικῶν Δυσιῶν. (Euseb.
Praep. Evang. 4.16; Porphyr.
de Abstin. 2.56.)
Περὶ ἰδιότητος ἄθλων. (
Clem. Al. Strom. iii. p. 447.)
Μελοποιοί. (Suid.
s. v. Φρῦνις; Schol.
ad Aristoph. Nub. 967; Anonym.
Vit. Sophocl.)
Ὑπομνήματα or commentaries. (Plut.
Quaest. Graec. 43.)
Ἀττικαὶ λέξεις. (Eustath.
ad Odyss. p. 1627.)
Further Information
Suid.
s. v. ἀμνόν; Phavorin.
s. v. ἀρνειός; Hesych.
s. v. ἀμάλλαι; Schol. Venet.
ad Hiad. κ. 439.