Dictis

Dictis is a rarely used Latin word, primarily encountered in classical literature. It functions as a proper noun, referring to a figure from Greek mythology, most notably in accounts associated with the Trojan War cycle. Specifically, Dictis is identified as a companion of Idomeneus, King of Crete, during the Trojan War. He is best known for purportedly authoring a diary or chronicle of the Trojan War, known as Dictys Cretensis, or the Ephemeris Belli Troiani (Diary of the Trojan War).

The actual authorship and historical accuracy of the Dictys Cretensis are highly debated. The text, as it has survived, claims to be a translation of a Phoenician document, further adding to the layers of attribution. While presented as a firsthand account, scholars generally consider the Dictys Cretensis to be a Latin prose romance written much later, likely in the 4th century AD, based on earlier Greek sources and traditions.

Dictis, the character, is therefore significant less for his actions in the Trojan War itself (where he plays a minor role) and more for his attributed role as the purported author of this influential pseudo-historical narrative. The Dictys Cretensis, along with the similarly attributed work of Dares Phrygius, provided alternative and widely circulated accounts of the Trojan War throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, often shaping perceptions of the war differently from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey.