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, but at length attached himself to the Stoics. 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 17 books; which 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 3d describes Spain; the 4th, Gaul and the Britannic isles; the 5th and 6th, Italy and the adjacent isles; the 7th, which is imperfect at the end, Germany, the countries of the Getæ and Illyrii, Taurica, Chersonesus, and Epirus; the 8th, 9th, and 10th, Greece with the neighbouring isles; the four following, Asia within Mount Taurus; the 15th and 16th, Asia without Taurus, India, Persia, Syria, Arabia; and the 17th, 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; but the best edition is that of Amsterdam in 1707, in 2 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 Chrestomathiæ, or Epitome of Strabo; which, according to Mr. Dodswell, 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 7th book. Mr. Dodswell's dissertation is prefixed to this edition.