Nymphodorus

• a Roman surname: L. SAENIVS L. T. NYMPHODORVS, Inscr. Murat. 1599, 5.

(Νυμφόδωρος), a citizen of Abdera, whose sister married Sitalces, king of Thrace. The Athenians, who had previously regarded Nymphodorus as their enemy, made him their proxenus in B. C. 431, and, through his mediation, obtained the alliance of Sitalces, for which they were anxious, and conferred the freedom of their city on Sadocus, Sitalces' son. Nymphodorus also brought about a reconciliation between the Athenians and Perdiccas, king of Macedonia, and persuaded them to restore to him the town of Therma, which they had taken in B. C. 432 (see Thuc. 1.61). In B. C. 430 Nymphodorus aided in the seizure, at Bisanthe, of Aristeus and the other ambassadors, who were on their way to ask aid of the Persian king against the Athenians. (Hdt. 7.137; Thuc. 2.29, 67; comp. Arist. Atc. 145.) [E.E]

(Νυμφόδωρος), literary.

1. A Greek historian, of Amphipolis. The time at which he lived is unknown, but he was the author of a work entitled Νόμιμα Ἁσίας, that is, the Laws or Customs of Asia, of which the third book is mentioned by Clemens of Alexandria (Strom. i. p. 139; comp. Protrept. 19), who quotes from it a passage concerning some Egyptian customs. In the second of the passages here cited Clemens calls the work Νόμιμα Βαρβαρικά, but there can be no doubt that it was the same production as the Νόμιμα Ἀσίας. Sometimes it is referred to under the brief title of Νόμοι. (Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.1010, 1031, 3.202, 4.1470.) The Scholiast on Sophocles (Oed. Col. 337) quotes the thirteenth book of this work; but the whole is lost, and only a very few fragments have been transmitted to us.

2. Of Syracuse, likewise an historian, seems to have lived about the time of Philip and Alexander the Great of Macedonia. Works Ἀσίας Περίπλους

He was the author of a work entitled Ἀσίας Περίπλους (Athen. 6.265, vii. p. 321, xiii. p. 609). Περὶ Σικελίας

His is the author of a work entitled Περὶ τῶν ἐν Σικελία Θαυμαζομένων (Athen. 1.19, xiii. p. 588), which is sometimes simply referred to by the title Περὶ Σικελίας. (Athen. 8.331, x. p. 452; Schol. ad Theocrit. 1.69, 5.15, ad Hom. Od. μ. 301, where, instead of Μεμψήδωρος. we should read Νυμφόδωρος; comp. Aelian, Ael. NA 11.20.) On Sardinia

Aelian (Ael. NA 16.34) quotes a statement from Nymphodorus relating to the use the Sardinians made of goat-skins, and from which it might be inferred that he also wrote on Sardinia, but this may have been a mere digression introduced into his work on Sicily. Further Information

Plin. Elenck. libb. iii. v. vii. xxxiii. xxxiv. xxxv.; Tertull. De An. 57 ; Steph. Byz. s. v. Ἀθύρας; Harpocrat., Hesych. s. v. αἰγίδας; comp. Ebert, Dissert. Sicul. pp. 155-222. [L.S]

(Νυμφόδωρος). A Syracusan of the time of Alexander the Great. He wrote a Periplus of Asia and a work on Sicily.

• his betrayal of Spartan envoys to the Athenians: Hdt. 7.137