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.
2.
Αἱ Ἀπόλλωνος ἐπιφανείαιΑἱ 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.)
3.
ΠτολεμαΐςΠτολεμαΐς. 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.)
4.
Αἰγυπτίων ἀποικίαιΑἰγυπτίων ἀποικίαι, or the colonies of the
Egyptians. (Clem. Al. Strom. i. p. 322 ;
Constantin. Porphyr. de Themat. i. p. 13.)
5.
ἈργολικάἈργολικά, or a history of Argos. (Athen. 14.650; Steph. Byz. s. v.Ἀπία.)
6.
ἩλιακάἩλιακά (Steph. Byz. s. v.
Φύτειον; Schol. in Platon. p.
380, ed. Bekker; ad Pind. Ol. 6.55, 7.146.)
7.
Συναγωγὴ τῶν Κρητικῶν ΔυσιῶνΣυναγωγὴ τῶν Κρητικῶν Δυσιῶν. (Euseb. Praep. Evang. 4.16; Porphyr. de Abstin. 2.56.)
8.
Περὶ ἰδιότητος ἄθλωνΠερὶ ἰδιότητος ἄθλων. (Clem. Al. Strom. iii. p. 447.)
9.
ΜελοποιοίΜελοποιοί. (Suid. s. v.Φρῦνις; Schol. ad Aristoph. Nub.
967; Anonym. Vit. Sophocl.)
10.
ὙπομνήματαὙπομνήματα or commentaries. (Plut. Quaest. Graec. 43.)
11.
Ἀττικαὶ λέξειςἈττικαὶ 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.