Persica (Ctesias)

Persica (Ctesias) refers to a historical work purportedly written by Ctesias of Cnidus, a Greek physician who served at the Achaemenid court in Persia during the late 5th and early 4th centuries BC. This work, written in Greek, detailed the history and culture of Persia, including accounts of the Assyrian Empire and other regions of the Near East and India.

The Persica of Ctesias is almost entirely lost, surviving only in fragments quoted by later authors like Diodorus Siculus, Plutarch, Athenaeus, and Aelian. These fragments suggest that Ctesias's work was characterized by sensationalism, romanticism, and a tendency to include fantastical elements and exaggerated claims. He presented himself as a first-hand witness to many of the events he described, often contradicting the accounts of other Greek historians, most notably Herodotus.

Modern historians generally regard Ctesias's Persica with considerable skepticism due to its demonstrable inaccuracies and biases. However, it remains a valuable source for understanding Greek perceptions and misperceptions of the East in the Classical period, and sheds light on the transmission of Persian traditions to the Greek world, even if the details provided are often unreliable. While his claims about Persian history are often dismissed, the fragments offer insights into the court life and customs, albeit filtered through a Greek lens and possibly embellished for dramatic effect.

The Persica was reportedly divided into several books, covering different periods and aspects of Persian history and culture. The surviving fragments provide glimpses into topics such as the reign of various Persian kings, the geography and natural wonders of the region, and the exotic customs of the people. However, reconstructing a coherent narrative from these fragments is challenging due to their fragmented nature and the lack of independent corroboration.