HERACLIDES, surnamed Ponticus, a Greek miscellaneous writer who flourished in the 4th century b.c., was born at Heraclea in Pontus. Removing to Athens, he is said to have been a disciple successively of Speusippus, Plato, and Aristotle. According to Suidas, the second of these philosophers, on departing for Sicily, left his scholars in the charge of Heraclides. The latter part of his life was spent at Heraclea. Of his private history we have few authentic details. He is said to have been vain and fat, and to have maintained such state in Athens that the wits changed his surname into Pompicus, or the Showy. Various idle stories are related about him. On one occasion, for instance, Heraclea was afflicted with famine, and the Pythoness at Delphi, bribed by Heraclides, assured his inquiring townsmen that the dearth would be stayed if they granted a golden crown to that philosopher. This was done; but just as Heraclides was receiving his honour in a crowded assembly, he was seized with apoplexy, while the dishonest priestess perished at the same moment from the bite of a serpent. On his death-bed he is said to have requested a friend to hide his body as soon as life was extinct, and, by putting a serpent in its place, induce his townsmen to suppose that he had been carried up to heaven. The trick was discovered, and Heraclides received only ridicule insteιd of divine honours.

He wrote on a great variety of subjects, but only one fragment, On Statecraft, is now extant. This was published with the Varia Historia of Aelian at Rome in 1545; but the best editions are those of Koller (Halle, 1804), Coray (Paris, 1805), and Müller. See Fr. W. Schmidt, De Hcraclidoe Pontici et Dicoearchi Messenii dialogis deperditis, Breslau, 1867.