HECATÆUS, an ancient historian of Miletus, in Asia Minor. The exact period of his birth and death is unknown, but the active part he took in the affairs of his country proves that he flourished about 500 B.C., at a time when the Ionians were attempting to throw off the yoke of the Persians, who were then governed by Darius. He was the son of Hegesandrus (Suid.), and descended of a noble family. He visited many countries, and, making himself acquainted with the peculiarities of their customs, and the history of different nations, he wrote numerous works on these subjects. (Herodot. ii. 143.) We find Hecateus present at the deliberations of the Ionians, 501 B.C., before they revolted against Darius, when he pointed out to his countrymen the folly of their intended proceedings. War, however, was resolved on at all hazards, and Hecateus then recommended that they should devote their attention to secure maritime supremacy. This advice was also neglected; and, 497 B.C., Aristagoras, who headed the war faction, was obliged to fly, being a short time afterwards slain in Thrace (v. 36, 125). Hecateus was one of the earliest writers in prose, and is said by Porphyry to have furnished materials for the history of Herodotus. His works were divided into three classes; histories, genealogies, and geographical pieces. The fragments, which are numerous, have been collected by Creuzer, Histororum Antiquissimorum Fragmenta, p. 38-86. (See Mémoires de l'Académie des Inscriptions, tom. vi. p. 475; Vossius de Hist. Graec. p. 410; and Ulrici, Charakteristik der antiken Historiographie, Berlin, 1833.)

Hecateus, a native of Abdera, in Thrace, who was a contemporary of Alexander the Great, and lived at the court of Ptolemy, son of Lagus king of Egypt (B.C. 323-283). He had there an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the Jewish nation; for, after the battle of Gaza, where Ptolemy defeated Demetrius Polliorcetes, the whole of Palestine came into the possession of the king of Egypt; and a large body of Jews, charmed by the humanity and moderation of Ptolemy, went along with him into Egypt, and, amongst others, the high-priest Hezekiah. From him it would appear that Hecateus received such minute information respecting the customs and habits of his countrymen, that he was induced to write a detailed history of the Jews. Both Josephus (Ap. i. 22, ii. 4) and Eusebius have preserved passages which are of great value, as confirming the accounts which we have elsewhere received of that people. In this work he described the nature and position of the country of Palestine, and gave an account of their fastnesses, Jerusalem, the temple, with the remarkable customs of the people and priests. In later times it has become a matter of dispute whether we ought to consider this work as the genuine production of Hecateus. Scaliger regarded it as spurious, following the opinion of Herennius Philo, as quoted by Origen (Contra Cel. lib. i.); but we think that Sainte Croix (Exem. Crit. des Hist. d'Alexandre, p. 558) has completely proved that it is the work of the author whose name it bears. (See Hecateus Alderites Philosoph. et Histor. Elogia. Gr. et Lat. by Scaliger, Alton, 1730.)