Parian Chronicle

▪ ancient Greek document

also called  Marmor Parium  or  Parian Marble 

      document inscribed on marble in the Attic Greek dialect and containing an outline of Greek history from the reign of Cecrops, legendary king of Athens, down to the archonship of Diognetus at Athens (264/263 BC). The years are reckoned backward from the archonship of Diognetus and further specified by the reigns of kings or the archons of Athens. The author gave little attention to constitutional history or battles but recorded the dates of the establishment of festivals, of the introduction of various kinds of poetry, of the births and deaths of the poets, and of their victories in contests of poetic skill.

      One large fragment, bought at Smyrna (now İzmir, Tur.) in the early 17th century, is at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Eng. Another, found on the Greek island of Paros in 1897, is now in the Paros Museum. The first fragment chronicles 1581/80–355/354; the second fragment covers 336/335–299/298.

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