EUHEMERUS

flourished 300 BC also spelled Euemeros, or Evemerus Greek mythographer who established the tradition of seeking an actual historical basis for mythical beings and events. It is thought he was born at Messina, though some claim he was born at Chios, Tegea, or Messene in the Peloponnesus. He lived at the court of Cassander, king of Macedonia, from approximately 301 to 297 BC. He is chiefly known by his Sacred History, a philosophic romance based upon archaic inscriptions that he claimed to have found during his travels in various parts of Greece. In this work he systematized for the first time an old Oriental (perhaps Phoenician) method of interpreting the popular myths; he asserted that the gods were originally heroes and conquerors who had earned a claim to the veneration of their subjects. This system spread widely, and the early Christians, especially, used it as a confirmation of their belief that ancient mythology was merely an aggregate of fables of human invention. The word euhemeristic is applied to such explanations of primitive myths. There is no doubt an element of truth in this approach, for, among the Romans, the gradual deification of ancestors and emperors was a prominent feature of religious development. Among primitive people, it is sometimes possible to trace family and tribal gods back to great chiefs and warriors. But it is not accepted by students of comparative religion as the sole explanation of the origin of gods.