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Please do not assume that a book's appearance in 'The Builder' library means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe. The Webmaster T~ Bonbon HENRY FROWDE Oxford University Press Warehouse Amen Corner, E.G. MACMILLAN & CO., 66 FIFTH AVENUE SELECTIONS FROM S T R A B O 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 OF THE AEGEAN,' ETC. WITH MAPS AND PLANS Oxford AT THE CLARENDON PRESS 1893 ©jrfotb PRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESS BY HORACE HART, PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY PREFACE It is hardly too much to say, that there is no author on whom our knowledge of the ancient world so much as it does on Strabo the information depends ; and 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- are to the reader and its will graphy presented ; purpose 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 Strabo has said on the subject of mathematical geography—are unsuited for extracts, because the)' take the form of criticisms of the views his while others it is safe to of predecessors ; ignore, because the statements which they contain have been proved by the advance of knowledge to be erroneous. Notwithstanding these limitations, however, a large number of interesting passages remain, which can be presented to of their context and it is the reader independently ; hoped that those which are here brought together may be of service in illustrating, as by a series of vignettes, some of the less familiar features of ancient history, and in opening to view here and there a wider field of study 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 and to the Rev. C. acquainted ; especially 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. Comprehensiveness of the Study of Geography . • • 55 2. Subdivisions of the Subject ....... 56 62 3. The Augustan Age especially suitable for Geographical Research. 4. Changes of the Face of the Earth arising from the Retirement of the Sea 64 5. Changes due to Eruptions, Earthquakes, and other causes . 70 Book II. —Prolegomena {continued). 6. Shape of the Inhabited World ..... 80 7. Seas and Continents of the Inhabited World 85 8. Superiority of Europe over the other Continents 87 Book III. —Spain. 9. of the Baetis its and The Basin ; products exports 90 10. Gold, Silver, and Tin Mines in Spain 95 11. Habits of the Northern Mountaineers 101 12. Character of the Iberians 107 13. Gades 109 Book IV. —Gaul. its influence 112 14. Massilia ; site, constitution, and 15. The Campus Lapideus 117 16. Completeness of the River-system of Gaul 120 17. Character and Customs of the Gauls . 123 18. Britain 130 19. The Ligurian Coastland 134 20. Alpine Roads, Precipices, and Avalanches 138 Vlll CONTENTS. Book V.—Northern and Central Italy. No. PAGE 21. Venetia Ravenna Source of the ; ; Timavus I4O its 22. Luna and Quarries : Pisa 143 23. The Appian Way and the Pomptine Marshes I46 24. and of its ion Rome ; disadvantages advantages posit I48 25. Rome Public Works and ; Buildings !52 26. Tibur, Praeneste, and the Alban Hills 27. The Lake Avernus and the Lucrine Lake . 162 28. Puteoli and Neapolis .... 166 29. Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Vesuvius 170 Book VI. —Southern Italy and Sicily, 30. Aetna 173 31. the Fountain of Arethusa Syracuse ; 177 32. Tarentum and Brundisium l8l 33. How the conformation of Italy contributed to the development of Rome ........... 185 Book VII.—Central and Eastern Europe. 34. Germany ........... 187 35. Procession . The Triumphal of Germanicus . .190 36. The Sources of the Danube and the Rhine 193 37. Ice of the Palus Maeotis 194 38. The Thracian in the Golden Horn . Bosporus ; Tunny-fishing 197 39. Actium and Nicopolis ........ 201 Book VIII.—The Peloponnese. 40. Sources of the and Eurotas . Elis; Alpheius ; Olympia 205 41. Messenia and Laconia 209 42. Corinth 214 43. Outlets of the Lakes of Pheneus and . Stymphalus . 222 Book IX. —Northern Greece. 44. Attica . .225 45. Boeotia the of the . ; Euripus ; drainage Copaic Lake 232 46. the Delphi ; Amphictyonic Council 238 47. Thermopylae 243 CONTENTS. I x Book X.—The Greek Islands. No. PACK 48. Leucadia the Canal the Lovers' ; ; Leap ..... 247 49. Delos 250 Book XI. —Northern and Central Asia. 50. Geographical Divisions of Asia ...... 253 ' 5L The ' Camarae Vessels on the Enxine ..... 256 52. use of and . The Caucasus ; Crampons, Tobogganing 258 53. The Albani and their Customs ....... 260 54. The Taurus the and the Arsene 266 Range ; Euphrates Tigris ; Lake Book XII.—Asia Minor: Northern and Central Portion. 55. Mount Argaeus ......... 270 56. Sinope, and the Mouth of the Halys ...... 272 57. Religious Sanctuaries in Cappadocia and Pontus . .276 58. Amasia, Strabo's Birthplace ....... 280 59. The Galatians .......... 282 60. Selge and its Products . 2S5, 61. Volcanic Phenomena in Western Asia Minor .... 287 — Book XIII. Asia Minor : North-Western Portion. 62. Mount Ida and the Troad ........ 292 — Book XIV. Asia Minor : South-Western and Southern Portion. 63. Samos ........... 294 64. Ephesus 297 65. The City of Rhodes ......... 304 the . 66. Story illustrating fondness of the Greeks for fish . 306 its . 67. Tarsus and Schools . .307 Book XV.—India. 68. Boundaries, Rivers, and Products of India ... 309 69. Remarkable Trees . .312 and . 70. Catching taming Elephants . .313 X CONTENTS. No. PAGE 71. The Caste-system • 3 X 5 1 ^ 72. The Official Administration . S 22 73. Mode of Life of the Indians 3 74. The Brahmans and their Observances ... 324 Book XVI.—South-Western Asia. 75. Inundations of the Euphrates, and precautions against them . 329 76. Phoenicia and its Cities 334 77. Origin and Customs of the Jews 339 78. Jericho and the 'Cities of the Plain' 342 Book XVII.—Egypt. 79. Alexandria 345 80. The Papyrus and the Egyptian Bean 353 Plan of an of the Priests 81.