Callisthenes

Callisthenes of Olynthus ((/kəˈlɪsθəˌniːz/); Greek: Καλλισθένης; c. 360 – 328 BC) was a well-connected Greek historian in Macedon who accompanied Alexander the Great during the Asiatic expedition. The philosopher Aristotle was Callisthenes' great uncle.

His mother Hero was the niece of Aristotle, and daughter of Proxenus of Atarneus and Arimneste, which made Callisthenes the great-nephew of Aristotle by his sister Arimneste, Callisthenes' grandmother. They first met when Aristotle tutored Alexander the Great.

Through his great-uncle's influence, he was later appointed to attend Alexander the Great on his Asiatic expedition as the official historian.

During the first years of Alexander's campaign in Asia, Callisthenes showered praises upon the Macedonian conqueror. As the king and army penetrated further into Asia, however, Callisthenes' tone began to change. He began to sharply criticize Alexander's adoption of Persian customs, with special scorn for Alexander's growing desire that those who presented themselves before him perform the servile ceremony of proskynesis, a physical act of submission. In the end, Alexander did not continue the practice.

Callisthenes was later implicated by his former pupil and page to Alexander, Hermolaus of Macedon in a treasonous conspiracy to assassinate the king. He was thrown into prison where he died seven months later from torture or disease. This event brought Alexander's relationship with Aristotle to a close.

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