Duris of Samos

Duris of Samos (Greek: Δοῦρις ὁ Σάμιος; c. 350 BC – after 281 BC) was a Greek historian and was at some period tyrant of Samos.

Duris claimed to be a descendant of Alcibiades, and was the brother of Lynceus of Samos. He had a son, Scaeus, who won the boys' boxing at the Olympian Games "while the Samians were in exile", that is, before 324 BC; from 352 to 324 Samos was occupied by Athenian cleruchs who had expelled the native Samians. Duris therefore may well have been born at some date close to 350 BC, and, since his main historical work ended with the death of Lysimachus in 281 BC, died at an unknown date after that.

Many 20th century works state that Duris was a pupil of Theophrastus at Athens. There is no evidence for this claim other than a conjectural emendation (by Adamantios Korais) of the text of the Deipnosophistae of Athenaeus. The manuscript text says not that Duris studied under Theophrastus, but that his brother Lynceus and Lynceus's correspondent Hippolochus did so.

The only recorded fact about Duris's public life is that he was "tyrant" or sole ruler of Samos. How he attained this position, for how long he held it, and what events took place under his rule, are unknown.

Duris was the author of a narrative history of events in Greece and Macedonia from the battle of Leuctra (371 BC) down to the death of Lysimachus. This work, like all his others, is lost; over thirty fragments are known through quotations by other authors, including Plutarch. It was continued in the Histories of Phylarchus. Other works by Duris included a life of Agathocles of Syracuse, which was a source for books 19-21 of the Historical Library of Diodorus Siculus. Duris also wrote historical annals of Samos arranged according to the lists of the priests of Hera; and a number of treatises on literary and artistic subjects.

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