Xanthus was also known for adapting historical events that were often considered boring into passages that the general Greek public would enjoy.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell how Xanthus arranged his material within the books as well as what amount of it would deal with pre-Mermnad dynasty times (i.e. before 700 BC).
According to a reference from Stephanus of Byzantium, it is believed that part of book IV of the Lydiaca describes the founding of Ascalon, a centre for the cult of Atargatis, from the point of view of a Lydian named Ascalus, the son of Hymenaeus (also known as Tymenaeus) during the rule of king Alkimos (also known as Akiamos).
For an intelligent writer like Dionysius to give such a strong statement about Xanthus and his works, it is inferred that he came to his conclusion by studying the original Lydiaca or at least epitome of Menippus, and not by reading the unreliable quotations by Scytobrachion.
[4] According to Strabo, in the first book of the Lydiaca Xanthus mentions finding rocks in the shape of seashells in many inland areas, such as Armenia, Matiene, and Lower Phrygia, and from this observation he speculates that the entire Anatolian Peninsula was once under water (I.