Editing Dexippus

{{Short description|Greek historian, statesman and general (c. 210–273)}}
{{About||the genus of jumping spiders|Dexippus (spider)|the 4th-century philosopher|Dexippus (philosopher)}}
[[File:I.Eleusis 656 = IG II² 3671(1).jpg|thumb|Fragmentary statue base erected for Dexippus at [[Eleusis]] (''I.Eleusis'' 656 = ''IG'' II² 3671)]]
'''Publius Herennius Dexippus''' ({{langx|el|Δέξιππος}}; c. 210–273 AD), [[Greeks|Greek]] [[historian]], statesman and general, was an hereditary priest of the [[Eleusinian Mysteries|Eleusinian]] family of the [[Kerykes]], and held the offices of ''[[archon basileus]]'' and ''[[Archons of Athens|eponymous]]'' in [[Athens]].<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=1 |wstitle=Dexippus, Publius Herennius |volume=8 |page=141}}</ref>

==Life==
When the [[Heruli]] overran [[Greece]] and [[Sack of Athens (267 AD)|captured Athens]] (267), Dexippus showed great personal courage and revived the spirit of patriotism among his fellow countrymen. A statue was set up in his honour, the base of which, with an inscription recording his services, has been preserved.<ref>''Inscriptiones Graecae'', II.2 3669.</ref> It is remarkable that the inscription is silent as to his military achievements.<ref name="EB1911"/>

[[Photios I of Constantinople|Photius]] speaks very highly of the style of Dexippus, whom he calls a second [[Thucydides]].<ref name="EB1911" /><ref>{{cite book| last = Vasiliev| first = Alexander Alexandrovich| title = The Goths in the Crimea | url = https://archive.org/details/Vasiliev1936Goths| publisher = The Mediaeval academy of America| date=1936| page=3}}</ref>

=== Works ===
Photius (''cod''. 82) mentions three historical works by Dexippus, of which considerable fragments remain:

#Τὰ μετ᾽ Ἀλέξανδρον (''The Events after Alexander''), apparently an epitome of a work by [[Arrian]]
#Σκυθικά (''Scythica''), a history of the wars of [[Rome]] with the [[Goths]] (called [[Scythians]] in archaizing language) in the 3rd century
#Χρονικὴ ἱστορία (''Chronike Historia'') in twelve books, probably covering a thousand years to the reign of the emperor [[Claudius II|Claudius Gothicus]] (270)<ref name="EB1911"/>

The ''Chronicle'' was continued by [[Eunapius|Eunapius of Sardis]], who opens his own history with a critique of his predecessor. The ''Chronicle'' also appears to be the primary source of the ''[[Historia Augusta]]''<ref>{{Cite book|last=Barbara|first=Santa|title=Violence in Late Antiquity: Perceptions and Practices|publisher=Ashgate|year=2006|isbn=978-075-465-498-8|location=England}}</ref> between 238 and 270, but Paschoud has demonstrated that the author of the ''Historia Augusta'' sometimes attributes material to Dexippus falsely and so that evidence must be used with caution.<ref>Paschoud, "L'Histoire Auguste et Dexippe".</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* Martin, Gunther (2006). ''Dexipp von Athen. Edition, Übersetzung und begleitende Studien''. Tübingen (edition and German translation).
* Mecella, Laura (2013). Dexippo di Atene. Testimonianze e frammenti. Introduzione, edizione, tradizione e commento. Tivoli.
* [[Fergus Millar|Millar, Fergus]] (1969). "P. Herennius Dexippus: The Greek World and the Third-century Invasions," ''Journal of Roman Studies'' 59: 12–29.
* Paschoud, François (1991). "L'''Histoire Auguste'' et Dexippe," in G. Bonamente et al., eds., ''Historiae Augustae Colloquium Parisinum'', 217–69.

==External links==
*[https://archive.org/stream/historicigraecim01dinduoft Dexippus' Fragments in Dindorf's 1870 Minor Greek Historians]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:210s births]]
[[Category:273 deaths]]
[[Category:3rd-century historians]]
[[Category:3rd-century clergy]]
[[Category:3rd-century Greek writers]]
[[Category:3rd-century Romans]]
[[Category:Eleusinian hierophants]]
[[Category:Roman-era Greek priests]]
[[Category:Roman-era Athenians]]
[[Category:Ancient Roman generals]]
[[Category:Greek-language historians from the Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Herennii|Dexippus, Publius]]
[[Category:Eponymous archons]]