Heraclides of Pontus was a Greek philosopher and astronomer of the 4th century BCE. Born in Heraclea Pontica, a city on the Black Sea coast, he moved to Athens to study at Plato's Academy under both Plato and his successor, Speusippus. Modern scholars note he was considered for the leadership of the Academy in 339 BCE, though the position ultimately went to Xenocrates. Ancient sources associate him with Pythagorean teachings and describe him as having a theatrical and luxurious personal style.

A prolific writer, none of his works survive intact. They are known only through fragments and reports by later authors. His writings covered a wide range of subjects, including ethics, astronomy, music, and literary criticism. Known titles of his dialogues include On the Woman Who Stopped Breathing, concerning the soul, and On Pleasure.

In astronomy, he proposed innovative ideas. Some scholars suggest he argued that the Earth rotates on its axis and that the planets Venus and Mercury orbit the Sun, a view considered ahead of its time. Heraclides is a significant figure for blending ideas from Platonic, Pythagorean, and other philosophical traditions. His eclectic interests and fragmentary legacy make him an important transitional thinker between the classical philosophy of Plato and Aristotle and the Hellenistic period that followed.