The world as Hippocrates knew it. Map of Hecataeus represents the Mediterranean view of the earth at 500 BC. Hecataeus of Miletus (550 BC - 476 BC), named after the Greek goddess Hecate, was an early Greek historian of a wealthy family. He flourished during the time of the Persian invasion. After having travelled extensively, he settled in his native city, where he occupied a high position, and devoted his time to the composition of geographical and historical works. He is the first known Greek historian, and was one of the first classical writers to mention the Celtic people. He was one of the first of the logographers to attempt a serious prose history and to employ critical method to distinguish myth from historical fact, though he accepts Homer and other poets as trustworthy authorities.