The Sicilian Colony Dates

Although the fifth century B.C. marks the beginning of Greek historiography, the Greek historians claimed the ability to cite dates for events occurring and personages living before the fifth century B.C. as well as to correct each others' dates in detail. Their work was summarized in the Chronicle of Eusebius, and, through translations, became part of the accepted historic body of knowledge in Europe and the Near East.

How did the Greek historians arrive at precise year-dates for events to which there were no contemporary witnesses? Why did different historians arrive at different dates for the same event? Dr. Miller, in this carefully organized and highly readable work, demonstrates remarkable knowledge of the primary sources in a difficult area of Greek history in her attempt to penetrate beyond extant source to the original--now lost--material from which the historians of antiquity derived their records.

This is a model of the art of historiographic discussion of demographic data--a major step forward in scholarship dealing with generations in antiquity. Her work has major implications not only for the study of the wide ranges of ancient history treated in this book, but also for examinations of demographical data available from other periods.

Another volume by the same author continuing her studies in chronography, The Thalassocracies, is now in preparation.