Sostratos of Aegina (), son of Laodamus, is reported by Herodotus as a famous merchant in the sixth century BC Hellenic worldHerodotus, Histories 4.152. See translation by G C Macauley – indeed to have gained "the biggest profit any Greek trader we have reliable information about has ever made from his cargo".R Waterfield trans., Herodotus: The Histories (Oxford 1998) p. 286

Veracity of Herodotus's account

The veracity of Herodotus has often been challenged, both in ancient and modern times, and the instance of his casual reference to Sostratus as a well known presence is something of a test case.R Waterfield trans., Herodotus: The Histories (Oxford 1998) p. xxxiii A previously otherwise unknown and perhaps legendary figure, Sostratus has received increasing validation from modern archeology. A stone anchor dedicated to Apollo at Gravisca (the port of the Etruscan city of Tarquinii) is for example thought to have been dedicated by Sostratos: it can now be seen at the museum there.

The names of Sostratus and Laodamus – perhaps his grandfather and father – have been found in Egypt,T Harrison, Interpreting Herodotus (2018) p. 191 supporting the view of his coming from an important family of international Aegina traders. Moreover, clay storage jars are found throughout Etruscan archaeological sites of the period marked with the Aeginetan letters "SO", which may have stood for Sostratos, and are often presumed to be the packaging in which his goods were delivered.Cornell (1995), p. 111 Not all scholars, however, accept that the marks on these jars refer to the Sostratos of Herodotus,Graeme Barker, Tom Rasmussen, The Etruscans, p87, Blackwell Publishing, 2000 and they (like the anchor) may again attest only to the kindred network, not the man.E Matthews, Greek Personal Names (2000) p. 131 Nevertheless, the cumulative weight of confirmation for Herodotus as referring to a well-known figure in the Greek world is impressive.R Waterfield trans., Herodotus: The Histories (Oxford 1998) p. 659

See also Colaeus Dick Whittington

Notes

References Tim Cornell, The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars, C.1000-263 BC, Routledge, 1995,