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Geography, Volume VII: Books 15–16
Strabo (ca. 64 BCE to ca. 25 CE), an Asiatic Greek of Amasia in Pontus, studied at Nysa and after 44 BCE at Rome. He became a keen traveller who saw a large part of Italy, various near eastern regions including the Black Sea, various parts of Asia Minor, Egypt as far as Ethiopia, and parts of Greece. He was a long time in Alexandria where he no doubt studied mathematics, astronomy, and history.
Strabo's historical work is lost, but his most important Geography in seventeen books has survived. After two introductory books, numbers 3 and 4 deal with Spain and Gaul, 5 and 6 with Italy and Sicily, 7 with north and east Europe, 8–10 with Greek lands, 11–14 with the main regions of Asia and with Asia Minor, 15 with India and Iran, 16 with Assyria, Babylonia, Syria, and Arabia, 17 with Egypt and Africa. In outline he follows the great mathematical geographer Eratosthenes, but adds general descriptions of separate countries including physical, political, and historical details. A sequel to his historical memoirs, Geography is planned apparently for public servants rather than students—hence the accounts of physical features and of natural products. On the mathematical side it is an invaluable source of information about Eratosthenes, Hipparchus, and Posidonius.
The Loeb Classical Library edition of Strabo is in eight volumes.
Strabo's historical work is lost, but his most important Geography in seventeen books has survived. After two introductory books, numbers 3 and 4 deal with Spain and Gaul, 5 and 6 with Italy and Sicily, 7 with north and east Europe, 8–10 with Greek lands, 11–14 with the main regions of Asia and with Asia Minor, 15 with India and Iran, 16 with Assyria, Babylonia, Syria, and Arabia, 17 with Egypt and Africa. In outline he follows the great mathematical geographer Eratosthenes, but adds general descriptions of separate countries including physical, political, and historical details. A sequel to his historical memoirs, Geography is planned apparently for public servants rather than students—hence the accounts of physical features and of natural products. On the mathematical side it is an invaluable source of information about Eratosthenes, Hipparchus, and Posidonius.
The Loeb Classical Library edition of Strabo is in eight volumes.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1930
50 people want to read
About the author
Strabo
407 books36 followersborn perhaps 63 BC
died perhaps 24
Geography , great work, the only extant text of Strabo, Greek historian, describes the known peoples during the reign of Augustus to the Romans.
* Στράβων
Strabo, a philosopher, lived in Asia Minor during the transitional period of the republic into the Roman Empire.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strabo
died perhaps 24
Geography , great work, the only extant text of Strabo, Greek historian, describes the known peoples during the reign of Augustus to the Romans.
* Στράβων
Strabo, a philosopher, lived in Asia Minor during the transitional period of the republic into the Roman Empire.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strabo
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 5, 2013
Strabo compiled a Geographical report of the known world drawing knowledge from his own experience and eyes(he travelled to a lot of places) but also from other contemporary writers.The problem was that the sources that mainly came from other writers were semi-mythological. Even though Strabo criticizes much of that references he takes for granted some others which were also myth related. However this collection of books was one of the first attempts for an academic writing related to the field of Geography.
July 8, 2014
Strabo was the geographer of the Ancient World. He not only traveled, but he relied on the recorded geographies of other writers to fill the gaps in his knowledge (which was pretty extensive). It is interesting to read of those places we are familiar with but as they were two thousand years ago. Not for those who aren't interested in the ancient world.
August 10, 2018
An absolutely unprecedented work on the geography, culture and demographics of the ancient world (in this case the middle east), around 25 B.C.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews