Simon of Athens
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Simon of Athens | |
|---|---|
| Born | Simon |
| Known for | fragments on horsemanship |
Simon of Athens was an Athenian writer on horses and horsemanship of the fifth century BC. He is the earliest known ancient Greek writer on the subject; Pliny described him as primus de equitatu scripsit, "the first to have written on riding". His writings are quoted by Xenophon.
It is not known when Simon lived. However, it cannot have been much before 460 BC, as he is known to have criticised a work of the Athenian painter Micon, who lived at about that time.[1]: 4 [2]: 242 Simon is the earliest writer of ancient Greece known to have written on horses and horsemanship, and was described by Pliny as primus de equitatu scripsit, "the first to have written on riding".[1]: 4 [3]
According to Xenophon, Simon dedicated a bronze statue of a horse, on a plinth decorated with reliefs of his deeds, in the Eleusinion in the Agora of Athens.[1]: 4
