Hecataeus of Miletus

Hecataeus of Miletus (c. 550 – c. 476 BC) was an early Greek historian and geographer from Miletus. He came from a wealthy family and traveled widely. He is recognized as the 'Father of Geography' and was among the first to attempt a critical approach to history, distinguishing myth from fact, though he still considered poets like Homer as authorities. His major works, 'Periodos ges' (Journey round the Earth) and 'Genealogiai', survive only in fragments. 'Periodos ges' was a two-book geographical survey of Europe and Asia/Africa, and 'Genealogiai' dealt with mythography, where he applied a skeptical approach to divine descents. Hecataeus also improved upon Anaximander's map. He advised against the Ionian Revolt but later acted as an ambassador to the Persian satrap Artaphernes, successfully advocating for the restoration of Ionian city constitutions. Herodotus, while sometimes contradicting Hecataeus, was influenced by his conceptualization of prose history.