Strabo

, a celebrated Greek geographer, philosopher, and historian, was born at Amasia, and was descended from a family settled at Gnossus in Crete. He was the disciple of Xenarchus, a Peripatetic philosopher, was well read in the history and tenets of the Grecian sects, but at length attached himself to the Stoics, and followed their dogmas. He contracted a strict friendship with Cornelius Gallus, governor of Egypt; and travelled into several countries, to observe the situation of places, and the customs of nations.

Strabo flourished under Augustus; and died under Tiberius, about the year 25, in a very advanced age. He | composed several works all of which are lost, except his “Geography,” in seventeen books, vv’hich are justly esteemed very precious remains of antiquity. The first two books are employed in showing, that the study of geography is not only worthy of a philosopher, but even necessary to him; the third describes Spain; the fourth, Gaul and the Britannic isles; the fifth and sixth, Italy and the adjacent isles; the seventh, which is imperfect at the nd, Germany, the countries of the Getac and Illyrii, Taurica, Chersonesus, and Epirus; the eighth, ninth, and tenth, Greece with the neighbouring isles; the four following, Asia within Mount Taurus; the fifteenth and sixteenth, Asia without Taurus, India, Persia, Syria, Arabia; and the seventeenth, Egypt, Ethiopia, Carthage, and other parts of Africa.

Strabo’s work was published with a Latin version by Xylander, and notes by Isaac Casaubon, at Paris, 1620, in folio; and again at Amsterdam in 1707, in two volumes folio, by the learned Theodore Janson of Almelooveen, with the entire notes of Xylander, Casaubon, Meursius, Cluver, Holsten, Salmasius, Bochart, Ez. Spanheim, Cellar, and others. To this edition is subjoined the “Chrestomathise;” or Epitome of Strabo; which, according to Mr. Dodwell, who has written a very elaborate and learned dissertation about it, was made by some unknown person, between the years of Christ 676 and 996. It has been found of some use, not only in helping to correct the original, but in supplying in some measure the defect in the seventh book. Mr. Dodwell’s dissertation is prefixed to this edition. The last and most valuable edition of Strabo, is that by Falconer, (See Falconer.) splendidly printed at Oxford in two volumes folio. 1

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Vossius, Hist. Graec< Fabric. Bibl. Graec. —Saxii Onomast.