Is Diodorus Siculus considered a reliable historian?
A common misconception is that I am a mere uncritical copyist, but this oversimplifies my method. While I do reproduce errors from my sources—such as exaggerated numbers in Egyptian chronology or mythical elements in Greek legends—I also exercise judgment. For instance, I sometimes note when accounts conflict and offer my own opinion, as with the Nile's source. My reliability varies: I am excellent for preserving lost traditions, but weak on precise chronology. Modern scholars value me as a source for Hellenistic historiography, not as a primary witness. My work is a window into how ancient readers understood their past.
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