Strabo

• 1. Origins And Family Background

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  The name Strabo meant squinty to the Romans, a term used for anyone with distorted eyes. Yet this ancient Greek geographer lived in Asia Minor during the transition from Republic to Empire. He was born around 64 BC or 63 BC into an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus. His relatives had been deeply involved in politics since at least the reign of Mithridates V. Several family members served Mithridates VI during the Mithridatic Wars. As the conflict neared its end, Strabo's grandfather surrendered several Pontic fortresses to Roman forces. The historian recorded that great promises were made in exchange for these services. Persian culture endured in Amaseia even after Mithridates and Tigranes were defeated. Scholars have speculated about how the family's support for Rome might have affected their position in the local community. Some wonder whether they received Roman citizenship as a reward for their actions.

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• 2. Education And Philosophical Training

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  Strabo studied under several prominent teachers throughout his early life across the Mediterranean. The first chapter of his education took place in Nysa under Aristodemus, the grandson of Posidonius. This teacher ran two schools of rhetoric and grammar, one in Nysa and another in Rhodes. The school in Nysa possessed distinct intellectual curiosity regarding Homeric literature. Strabo later became an admirer of Homer's poetry, perhaps due to his time spent with Aristodemus. At around age 21 he moved to Rome in 44 BC and stayed until at least 31 BC. He studied philosophy with Xenarchus, a respected tutor in Augustus's court who held Aristotelian leanings. Despite this influence, Strabo developed Stoic inclinations largely through Athenodorus Cananites. Athenodorus was also the tutor of Augustus himself. In Rome he learned grammar from Tyrannion of Amisus, a wealthy scholar known to have befriended Cicero. Tyrannion taught Quintus, Cicero's nephew, and served as a respected authority on geography. These three mentors completed his traditional Greek aristocratic education in rhetoric, grammar, and philosophy.

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• 3. Extensive Travels Across The Empire

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  Strabo journeyed to Egypt and Kush during his lifetime. He traveled as far west as the coastal region of Tuscany and as far south as Ethiopia. His travels included Asia Minor and extended time spent in Rome. Travel throughout the Mediterranean and Near East was popular during this era for scholarly purposes. This movement was facilitated by relative peace enjoyed throughout the reign of Augustus between 27 BC and AD 14. In 29 BC on his way to Corinth where Augustus was present, he visited Gyaros island in the Aegean Sea. Around 25 BC he sailed up the Nile until reaching Philae. He accompanied Aelius Gallus, prefect of Egypt who had been sent on a military mission to Arabia. There is little record of his travels after AD 17. He stated that no one who wrote geographies had visited more places than him within those limits. Westward he journeyed to Etruria opposite Sardinia while traveling toward the south from the Black Sea to Ethiopian borders.

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• 4. Composition Of Geographica

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  The exact date when Strabo's Geography was written remains unknown to modern scholars. Comments within the work itself place the finished version within the reign of Emperor Tiberius. Some historians suggest first drafts appeared around 7 BC while others propose dates near AD 17 or AD 18. The latest passage with an assignable date references the death in AD 23 of Juba II, king of Maurousia. Juba died just recently according to Strabo's text. He probably worked on the Geography for many years revising it steadily though not always consistently. It took some time for the work to be recognized by scholars and become standard reference material. An encyclopaedic chronicle covered political, economic, social, cultural, and geographic descriptions across almost all Europe and Mediterranean regions. Britain and Ireland, Iberian Peninsula, Gaul, Germania, Alps, Italy, Greece, Northern Black Sea region, Anatolia, Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa were included. Alexandria features extensively in the last book describing it as a thriving port city with highly developed local economy. Two streets exceeded a plethron in breadth and cut one another at right angles throughout the city.

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• 5. Scientific Observations On Geology

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  Strabo commented on fossil formation mentioning Nummulite stones found near the pyramids. He observed heaps of stones from quarries lying before the pyramids containing pieces resembling lentils. Some contained substances like grains half peeled which he said were remnants of workmen's food converted into stone. At home in Amaseia there was a long hill abounding with porous pebbles resembling lentils. The pebbles of sea-shore and rivers suggested similar difficulties regarding their origin. Strabo also wrote about volcanism observed at Katakekaumene in modern Kula Western Turkey. His observations predated Pliny the Younger who witnessed Mount Vesuvius erupting on the 24th of August AD 79 in Pompeii. The soil there was covered with black ash as if made up of fires. Three pits called Physas separated by forty stadia from each other existed above hills formed by hot masses bursting from ground. Such type of soil proved very convenient for viniculture producing best wines abundantly. Some writers concluded Dionysus deserved the name Phrygenes based on these places.

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• 6. Transmission And Editorial History

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  Although rarely used by contemporary writers, many copies of Strabo's Geography survived throughout Byzantine Empire. It first appeared in Western Europe as Latin translation issued around 1469 in Rome. The first printed edition was published in 1516 in Venice. Isaac Casaubon provided the first critical edition in 1587 as classical scholar editing Greek texts. Volumes one through four contain text and translation while volumes five through eight offer commentary. Volume nine includes text of Epitome and Chrestomathy alongside volume ten serving as index. H.L. Jones translated the work into English in 1917 across eight volumes. Additional translations emerged including versions edited by H.C. Hamilton and W. Falconer between 1854 and 1857. Modern scholars continue studying textual tradition established by Diller in 1975 regarding Amsterdam publication. Recent works include contributions from Daniela Dueck published by Routledge in London and New York during 2017.

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