a native of Cnidos, who accompanied Cyrus the son of Darius in his expedition against his brother Artaxerxes; by whom he was taken prisoner. But curing Artaxerxes of a wound he received in the battle, he became a great favourite at the court of Persia, where he continued practicing physic for 17 years, and was employed in several negociations. He wrote the History of Persia in 23 books, and a History of the Indies; but these works are now lost, and all we have remaining of them is an abridgment compiled by Photinus. The most judicious among the ancients looked upon Ctesias as a fabulous writer; yet several of the ancient historians and modern Christian writers have adopted in part his chronology of the Assyrian kings.