Callisthenes of Macris (kaˈlis.tʰe.nɛːs ɔf maˈkʰris)

"Callisthenes invented history. All that came before him was but myths and legends."

— Lykomedes of Thalessos

Callisthenes was one of the most influential thinkers in history. While he is best known as the historian who chronicled the life of Hundaru of Telmun and the rise of the Telmunic Empire, he also wrote extensively on natural philosophy, poetry, and medicine, among other subjects. His works are studied by scholars across every region of the Great Ring, and many journey to Macris to view his original manuscripts, preserved in the great Library of Mávros.

Early Life

Callisthenes was born in 2052 on the island of Macris, part of the Kaphtor Islands. His family held considerable influence within the Aon Phylí, which continues to govern the island to this day. Raised in an environment of wealth and privilege, he was encouraged from an early age to pursue scholarly interests. By the time he reached adulthood, Callisthenes was already well known as a writer and philosopher, and had begun taking on students of his own.

His early writings focused primarily on music, poetry, and theology. But in 2092, his life - and the course of history - changed dramatically. That year, Hundaru of Telmun conquered the Kaphtor Islands, drawing them into the growing Telmunic Empire. Callisthenes quickly recognized that the young emperor was a legend in the making and resolved to become the official historian of the new regime. His record of Hundaru’s life would become the definitive history of the period and would go on to establish many of the conventions historians follow to this day. In later centuries, scholars would refer to Callisthenes simply as The Historian, the standard by which all others are measured.

The Emperor's Historian

Callisthenes was not only a meticulous researcher but also a gifted storyteller, seamlessly weaving historical fact with vivid narrative to captivate readers across the islands. He became a close confidant and philosophical sparring partner to Hundaru, and the insights gleaned from their conversations brought depth and humanity to the volumes he would write about the emperor's deeds.

In addition to firsthand accounts, Callisthenes gathered recollections from others within Hundaru's orbit, with a particular emphasis on securing materials written during the early years of the Empire. He placed great value on contemporary records, believing that documents produced in the moment revealed more truth than memories recounted years later. This commitment to immediacy and primary sources set a new standard for historical rigor, and remains an axiom of Kaphtori historians to this day.

When Hundaru and his armies advanced west across the Southern Region, Callisthenes accompanied them. He recorded everything he encountered - not only events directly relevant to Hundaru's campaigns, but also the lands, peoples, animals, and customs they encountered along the way. His notes contain some of the earliest written descriptions of the Southern Region, and remain invaluable to scholars across multiple fields.

Callisthenes also had a keen talent for uncovering the secrets of those around him. The political intrigues and rivalries he documented among Hundaru's generals - often in careful detail - would later prove prophetic, foreshadowing the fractures that led to the Empire's collapse after Hundaru’s death.

The Legacy of the Historian

When Hundaru was assassinated in 2110, Callisthenes knew that his role as the Empire's historian had come to an end. He recorded everything he could discover about the Emperor's death, and then gathered his many volumes of notes and took ship for Macris - barely ahead of the civil war he could see coming. He spent the final four years of his life compiling those notes into the histories that would make him famous.

The opening line of his Τὰ τοῦ Ἑανδάρου ἔργα would become one of the most quoted in all literature:

Ἐνυμφεύθη τῷ πολέμῳ, καὶ ὁ πόλεμος προῖκεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀρχήν.

"He was the bridegroom of war, and she brought him an empire as a dowry."

The writings of Callisthenes of Macris remain among the most influential works in the Great Ring. From his early treatises to the histories and observations he composed while traveling with Hundaru, Callisthenes has long been regarded as an authority in half a dozen fields. Even his errors have acquired the weight of truth: it is suspected that some of the stranger creatures reported in the southern islands were shaped by belief in his descriptions - so well known and widely accepted that the Egregoric Force bent reality to accommodate them. While many later authors have built upon the writings of Callisthenes of Macris, none have ever surpassed his accomplishments or renown.