Suidas

(Σουΐδας). A Greek lexicographer, of whose personality nothing is known, but who lived about A.D. 970, and compiled, from the lexicographical, grammatical, and explanatory works of his predecessors, a lexicon which contains explanations of words, and accounts, mainly biographical, of earlier writers. The work is put together in alphabetical order hastily, and without skill or discrimination. It is also marred by numerous mistakes. Nevertheless, it is very valuable, owing to the wealth of information on literary history contained in it, much of this not being found elsewhere. The first edition appeared at Milan in 1499. The best editions are those of Küster, 3 vols. (1705); Gaisford, 3 vols. (Oxford, 1834); Bernhardy, 2 vols. (Halle, 1834); and Bekker (Berlin, 1854). See lexicon.