Thestorides figures as a major character in the fictional Life of Homer fraudulently ascribed to Herodotus. According to this, when Homer came to Phocaea Thestorides offered him food and lodging in exchange for the right to record his poetry in writing. Homer had little choice but to accept, and recited to Thestorides the Iliad, the Odyssey and also an epic on local history and legend, Phocais.

Thestorides afterwards moved to Chios, where he performed Homer's poems as if they were his own and became famous. Homer heard rumours of this and eventually travelled to Chios also; Thestorides, threatened with disgrace, left the island hastily.