A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

STRABO. STRABO. 917
-books, began where the history of Polybius ended, the mythical stamp. That which gives so much
and was probably continued to the battle of Ac- real value to his work is his own personal obsertium (Groskurd, Transl. of Strabo, i. p. 21). vation, and the truthfulness of his description.
Strabo was a great traveller, and much of his He is the first-extant writer who has treated on
geographical information is the result of his own physical geography, and on the causes now in
observation. In a passage in the second book of operation by which the earth's surface is contihis Geography (p. 117) he says, " I shall accord- nually undergoing change. The connection of geoingly describe partly the lands and seas which graphy and history henceforth subsisted, as we see
I have travelled through myself, partly what I in the extant Greek and Roman historians, and in
have found credible in those who have given me the Anabasis of Arrian, which is founded on works
information orally or by writing. Westwards I that are now lost. The first systematic writer on
have travelled from Armenia to the parts of Tyr- geography was Eratosthenes, who preceded Strabo
rhenia adjacent to Sardinia; towards the south by about three centuries. The work of Eratosfrom the Euxine to the borders of Ethiopia. And thenes was not confined to political and topograperhaps there is not one among those who have phical description: of the three books, into which
written geographies who has visited more places the work was distributed, it is said that the third
than I have between these limits; for those who only contained particular description, and the first
have gone further to the west have not gone so far two contained a history of geography, a criticism
to the east; and others who have gone further to- of the sources of which the author availed himself,
wards the east, have not advanced so far to the and matters pertaining to physical and mathemna~west: and the case is the same with the regions tical geography: the whole was accompanied by a
between the northern and the southern limits." new map of the world. Though this work was seHe expressly mentions in his work having seen the verely criticised by Hipparchus, it does not appear
following countries and places: Egypt, Corinth, the that the Greeks had any other systematic treatise
island Gyarus; Populonium, near Elba; Comana on geography before that of Strabo. - But the matein Cappadocia; Ephesus; Mylasa, Amasia, Nysa, rials for a geographical writer had been greatly
and Hierapolis in Phrygia. It follows, from this increased between the time of Eratosthenes and
enumeration, that he must have seen a great number Strabo, and those materials were partly furnished
of other places. The meagre and incorrect descrip- by historical writers, and adventurers by sea and
tion which he gives of many districts and towns land: the conquests of the Romans also had
may perhaps be taken as evidence that he derived opened countries which were almost unknown to
his knowledge of them only from books; whereas the contemporaries of Eratosthenes.
on the contrary, the fulness and accuracy of his There is no ground for viewing the Geography
description, in other cases, may be good evidence of Strabo as a new edition of that of Eratosthenes,
that he had visited them. though it is clear from his own work that the treaIt is certain that he saw very little of Greece: tise of Eratosthenes furnished the foundation for
he visited Corinth, Argos, Athens, Megara, and his new undertaking, and also furnished him with
the neighbourhood of those places, but this was all. many materials, which however he had to examine,
He saw no more of the Peloponnesus than he to correct, and to add to. Strabo's work, accordwould see in going to Argos, and he did not know ing tohis own expression, was not intended for
that the remains of Mycenae still existed (p. 372). the use of all persons; and indeed no complete
It seems probable that he merely passed through geographical work can be adapted to those wlho
Greece on his way to Brundusium, by which route have not the necessary elementary knowledge.
he probably reached Rome. Populonium and His work was intended for all who had a
Luna were the limit of his travels to the north in good education, and particularly for those who
Italy. It was probably in Rome that he obtained were engaged in the higher departments of admihis information about the countries which lie north nistration; it was designed to be a work which
of the Alps, Gallia, Germany, and also Britain, would give such persons that geographical and hisand Spain. During his visit to Egypt he staid torical information about each country which a
some time in Alexandria, and he went up the person engaged in matters political cannot do withriver to Syene and Philae, the southern limits of out. Consistently with this view, his plan does
Egypt. That he did not remain in Egypt, we not comprehend minute description, except when
may safely assume; but it is not clear by what the place or the object is of great interest or imroute he left it, and the conjectures upon this portance; nor is his description limited to the
matter are merely guesses. physical characteristics of each country; it comThe oldest writings of the Greeks, the Homeric prehends the important political events of which
poems, contain geographical description blended each country has been the theatre, a notice of the
with history and fable. In the early period of chief cities and the great men who have illustrated
Greek literature, geography was nothing more than them; in short, whatever was most characteristic
local description, and the description was made and interesting in every country. His work forms a
for other purposes than geography: it was sub- striking contrast with the geography of Ptolemaeus,
servient to poetry. The Ionian school may be and the dry list of names, occasionally relieved by
considered as having made a step towards geogra- something added to them, in the geographical porphical science by the attention which they paid tion of the Natural History of Plinius. It is in
to celestial phaenomena, but they did nothing short a book intended for reading, and it may be
directly for geography. The history of Herodotus read; a kind of historical geography.
is the earliest extant work in which geographical Strabo's work has a particular value to us of the
description is blended with an historical subject. present day, owing to his method of handling the
But Herodotus still retains marks of the charac- subject: he has preserved a great number of histoteristic early literature of Greece: his history is rical facts for which we have no other evidence
an epic poem; his general geography still bears than his work. His language is generally clear,
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