Alexander Cornelius, Greek grammarian, surnamed Polyhistor
from his great learning, born at Miletus or Myndus in
Caria, flourished about 70 B.C. He was taken prisoner in
the Mithridatic war by Sulla, from whom (or from Cornelius Lentulus) he received his freedom and assumed the name
Cornelius. He accompanied Crassus on his Parthian
campaigns, and perished at the destruction by fire of his
house at Laurentum. He is said to have written "books
without number," chiefly on historical and geographical
subjects. Of the extant fragments (Müller, Fragmenta
Historicorum Graecorum, iii:) those relating to the Jews are
important as containing quotations from lost Jewish authors.
Initial text from 1911 encyclopedia -- Please update as needed
