Ctesias

Ctesias was a Greek of Cnidus in Caria, who practiced medicine for many years in Persia under Artaxerxes Mnemon, and wrote a history of Persia in twenty-three books down to the year 398 BC.

The following preserves information transmitted by Athenaeus of Naucratis, who lived in Rome towards the end of the second century AD:

Ctesias reports that among the Indians it was not lawful for the king to drink to excess. Among the Persians however the king was permitted to be intoxicated on the one day on which sacrifice was offered to Mithras.

Chaldean Magi

• Introduction

• Ammianus Marcellinus

• Apuleius

• Arnobius

• Bardasenes

• Callisthenes

• Clement of Alexandria

• Commodian

• Ctesias

• Damascius

• Derveni Papyrus

• Dio Chrysostom

• Diodorus of Sicily

• Diogenes Laertes

• Dionysius the Areopagite

• Duris

• Emperor Julian

• Eudemus of Rhodes

• Eunapius

• Eusebius

• Firmicus Maternus

• Gregory Nazianzus

• Herodotus

• Hyppolitus

• Iamblichus

• Jerome

• Justin Martyr

• Lactantius Placidus

• Lampridius

• Lucian

• Martianus Capella

• Mithras Liturgy

• Nonnus of Panopolis

• Nonnosus

• Origen

• Philo of Alexandria

• Philo of Byblos

• Pliny the Elder

• Plutarch

• Porphyry

• Proclus

• Saint Augustine

• Socrates of Constantinople

• St. Basil, Bishop of Caesarea

• Strabo

• Tertullian

• The Chaldean Oracles

• Xenophon

• Zosimus of Panopolis