Persica

work by Ctesias

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Last updated

July 1, 2026

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Ctesias's Persica was a history of Assyria-Babylonia written in the 4th century BCE. While Ctesias claimed it was based on Persian archives, the surviving fragments are filled with unreliable, romanticized stories and court gossip. The work is no longer extant, except in an abstract by Photius of Constantinople.1

The term "Persic" refers to something related to Persia (modern Iran) or the Persian language. Persis itself was an ancient region in southwestern Iran, home to the Persian tribes and the Achaemenian dynasty, who founded capitals like Pasargadae and Persepolis. Ctesias also wrote an Indica, a history of India based on reports from Persian visitors and merchants.231

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Ctesias
…398 and began writing his Persica, a history of Assyria-Babylonia in 23 books. Books I–VI included a history of Assyria and the Medes, and the last 10 books were a more detailed account from the death of Xerxes (465) to 398. Although Ctesias claimed that his history was based on…
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…398 and began writing his Persica, a history of Assyria-Babylonia in 23 books. Books I–VI included a history of Assyria and the Medes, and the last 10 books were a more detailed account from the death of Xerxes (465) to 398. Although Ctesias claimed that his history was based on…
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