Lost Works of Berosus

Berosus was a Chaldean priest of Bel at Babylon who was aquainted with both astronomy and the history of the ancient world. He left Babylon when it was conquered by Alexander the Great and established himself in Asia Minor, on the island of Cos near Rhodes, where he set up an observatory and a school of astronomy. He also spent some time in Athens where he was held in such high esteem that they erected a copper statue in his honour.

As the Greek language spread through Asia, during the Macedonian conquests, there was public interest in the histories that had been preserved by the Babylonians. Berosus, as a Babylonian priest who could speak Greek, was surrounded by an enquiring public who no doubt encouraged him to write his histories.

He wrote his three books, about 290BC, and although they are lost, their contents are known, from the authentic fragments, to have been as follows:

* Book 1: The description of Babylonia, the story of creation and the appearance of a "fish-man" called Oannes, who taught arts and sciences.
* Books 2 and 3: The ten kings before the flood, the story of the flood itself, the list of Chaldean and Arabian kings, and finally the later history of Assyria, Babylon and the Persians.