Selections from Strabo with an introduction on Strabo’s life and works

406 Pages·1893·19.163 MB·English

by  H.F. Tozer

SELECTIONS
FROM
T R A B O
S
WITH AN INTRODUCTION
ON
STRABO'S LIFE AND WORKS
BY THE
REV. H. F. TOZER, M.A., F.R.G.S.
HONORARY FELLOW OF EXETER COLLEGE, OXFORD
AUTHOR OF
'THE ISLANDS OFTHE AEGEAN,' ETC.
WITH MAPS AND PLANS
Oxford
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
1893
©jrfotb
PRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
BY HORACE HART, PRINTER TO THEUNIVERSITY
PREFACE
It is hardly too much to say, that there is no author
on whom our knowledge of the ancient world so much
depends as it does on Strabo and the information which
;
he imparts is of service, not only to the geographer and
the historian, but also to naturalists, and to students of
folk-lore and of traditions of various kinds: yet it must
be confessed that in our own day, though he is often
referred to, he is but little read. In the present volume
a number of the most interesting passages in his Geo-
graphy are presented to the reader and its purpose will
;
have been fulfilled, if it succeeds in conveying some
impression of the valuable material which the complete
work contains. At the same time, it is not altogether
an easy matter to make satisfactory extracts from Strabo.
In the first place, that author's conciseness of statement,
which has enabled him to compress so large an amount
of matter into a single work, frequently causes important
facts to be imbedded in less interesting surroundings, or
to be accompanied by enumerations of names of places,
which, though they are highly valuable to the professed
geographer, are discouraging to the student of other
subjects. Besides this, the editor of Strabo so often
finds himself treading on the still warm ashes of modern
b
VI PREFACE.
controversies, into the service of which his author's
remarks have been pressed, that he is forced to be on
his guard against making his 'Selections' a—text-book
of disputed questions. Some sections, again, including
almost every thing that Str—abo has said on the subject
of mathematical geography are unsuited for extracts,
because take the form of criticisms of the views
the)'
of his predecessors ; while others it is safe to ignore,
because the statements which they contain have been
proved by the advance of knowledge to be erroneous.
Notwithstandingtheselimitations, however, alarge number
ofinteresting passages remain, which can be presented to
the reader independently oftheir context and it is hoped
;
that those which are here brought together may be of
service in illustrating, as by a series of vignettes, some of
theless familiar features ofancient history, and in opening
to view here and there a wider field ofstudy than what is
contained in the more familiar classical authors.
The editor's best thanks are due to many friends, who
have assisted him in his work by supplying him with
information on subjects with which he is imperfectly
acquainted ; and especially to the Rev. C. W. Boase,
Fellow of Exeter College, who with great kindness has
read through his proof-sheets, and has aided him with
valuable suggestions.
The Map of the World according to Strabo has been
adapted from that of Dr. C. Muller in the Didot edition.
H. F. T.
Oxford.
Sept. 14, 1893.
CONTENTS
PAGE
Introduction
I
—
Book I. Prolegomena.
No
.......
1. Comprehensivenessofthe StudyofGeography . . • • 55
2. Subdivisions oftheSubject 56
3. The Augustan AgeespeciallysuitableforGeographicalResearch. 62
4. Changesofthe Face oftheEarth arising from the Retirement of
the Sea 64
5. Changesdueto Eruptions, Earthquakes, and othercauses . . 70
—
Book II. Prole.gom.ena.{co.ntin.ued).
6. ShapeoftheInhabited World 80
7. Seasand Continentsofthe Inhabited World 85
8. Superiority ofEurope overtheotherContinents 87
—
Book III. Spain.
9. The Basinofthe Baetis; itsproducts and exports 90
10. Gold, Silver, andTin Mines in Spain 95
11. Habits oftheNorthern Mountaineers 101
12. Characterofthe Iberians 107
13. Gades 109
—
Book IV. Gaul.
14. Massilia; itssite, constitution, andinfluence 112
15. The CampusLapideus 117
16. CompletenessoftheRiver-systemofGaul 120
17. Characterand Customsofthe Gauls . 123
18. Britain 130
19. The Ligurian Coastland 134
20. Alpine Roads, Precipices, andAvalanches 138
CONTENTS.
Vlll
—
Book V. Northern and Central Italy.
No. PAGE
21. Venetia; Ravenna; Source oftheTimavus I4O
22. LunaanditsQuarries: Pisa 143
23. TheAppian Wayandthe Pomptine Marshes I46
24. Rome; disadvantagesandadvantages ofitsposition I48
25. Rome; Public Worksand Buildings !52
26. Tibur, Praeneste, and the Alban Hills
....
27. The Lake Avernusandthe LucrineLake . 162
28. PuteoliandNeapolis 166
29. Herculaneum, Pompeii, andVesuvius 170
—
Book VI. Southern Italy and Sicily,
30. Aetna 173
31. Syracuse; the Fountain ofArethusa 177
32. Tarentuma.nd B.rundi.sium........ l8l
33. HowtheconformationofItalycontributedto thedevelopmentof
Rome
185
—
Book.VII.. C.ent.ral.an.d E.ast.ern.Eur.ope..
34. Germany 187
35. The Triumphal Procession ofGermanicus . . . .190
36. The Sources ofthe Danube and the Rhine 193
37. IceofthePalus Maeotis ........ 194
38. TheThracian Bosporus; Tunny-fishingin the Golden Horn . 197
39. Actium and Nicopolis 201
—
Book VIII. The Peloponnese.
40. Elis; Sources ofthe Alpheiusand Eurotas ; Olympia . . 205
41. MesseniaandLaconia 209
42. Corinth 214
43. OutletsoftheLakes ofPheneus and Stymphalus . . . 222
—
Book IX. Northern Greece.
44. Attica . . . . . . . . . . .225
45. Boeotia; the Euripus; drainageof the Copaic Lake . . . 232
46. Delphi; theAmphictyonicCouncil 238
47. Thermopylae 243
CONTENTS. x
I
—
Book X. The Greek .Isla.nds.. ..
No. PACK
48. Leucadia; theCanal; the Lovers' Leap 247
49. Delos 250
—
Book XI. Northern an.d C.ent.ra.l A.sia..
.....
50. Geographical Divisions ofAsia 253
5L The 'Camarae'Vessels on the E.nxin.e ..... 256
52. TheCaucasus; use ofCrampons, and Tobogganing . . . 258
53. The Albani and theirCustoms 260
54. The Taurus Range ; the Euphrates andTigris; the Lake Arsene 266
—
Book XII. Asia Minor: Northern and Central
.P.ort.ion.......
......
55. Mount Argaeus 270
56. Sinope, and the Mouth ofthe Ha.lys ...... 272
57. Religious Sanctua.ries.in Ca.ppad.ocia.and.Pont.us ......276
58. Amasia,Strabo's Birthplace 280
59. The Galatians 282
60. Selge and its Products . . . . .. .. .. .. 2S5,
61. VolcanicPhenomena in Western Asia Minor 287
—
Book XIII. Asia Min.or.No.rth.-We.ste.rn.Por.tion.
:
62. Mount Ida and the Troad 292
—
Book XIV. Asia Minor South-Western and
:
..S.out.her.n P.ort.ion.....
63. Samos ......... 294
64. Ephesus 297
65. The City ofRhodes 304
66. Story illustratingthefondnessofthe Greeks for fish . . . 306
67. Tarsus and itsSchools . . . . . . . .307
—
Book XV. India.
68. Boundaries, Rivers, and ProductsofIndia ... . . 309
69. RemarkableTrees . . . . . . . . .312
70. Catchingand taming Elephants . . . . . .313
X CONTENTS.
No. PAGE
71. The Caste-system • 3X5
72. The Official Administration . . . . . S1^
73. ModeofLifeoftheIndians ... 322
74. The Brahmansand theirObservances . 324
—
Book XVI. South-Western Asia.
75. Inundationsofthe Euphrates, and precautionsagainstthem . 329
76. Phoenicia and its Cities 334
77. OriginandCustomsoftheJews 339
78. Jericho andthe 'Citiesofthe Plain' 342
—
Book XVII. Egypt.
79. Alexandria 345
80. ThePapyrusandthe Egyptian Bean 353
81. Heliopolis ; Plan ofanEgyptianTemple; LearningofthePriests 354
82. TheBull Apis andtheSacred Crocodile 359
83. Thebes 361
84. The Nilometerat Elephantine . 363
Index • 367
LIST OF MAPS AND PLANS
Map ofthe World accordingto Strabo . . . Tofacepage 55
Cadizanditsenvirons „ ,, 109
Tarentum Page 182
Actiumand Nicopolis Tofacepage 201
Ephesus „ „ 297
Alexandria ,, „ 345
Plan ofan Egyptian temple Page 356