Callisthenes
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible [1]
CALLISTHENES ( 2Ma 8:33 ). A Syrian, captured by the Jews in a small house, where he had taken refuge after the great victory over Nicanor and Gorgias, in b.c. 165 (cf. 1Ma 4:1-34 ). At a festival in celebration of the victory, the Jews burnt Callisthenes to death, because he had set fire to the portals of the Temple (cf. 1Ma 4:38 ).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [2]
ka - lis´the - nēz ( Καλλισθένης , Kallisthénēs ): An officer of Nicanor who was charged with the burning of the sacred portals of the temple at the time of the desecration under Antiochus Epiphanes (168 bc). After the decisive defeat of Nicanor's army at Emmaus (165 bc) the Jews celebrated the victory in the city of their fathers and burned C. who had fled into an outhouse with others who had set the sacred gates on fire, "the meet reward of their impiety" (2 Macc 8:33).
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [3]
( Καλλισθένης , a frequent Greek name), a partisan of Nicanor, who was burnt by the Jews on the defeat of that general in revenge for his guilt in setting fire to "the sacred portals" ( 2 Maccabees 8:33). — Smith, s.v. (See Nicanor).
