Circa 64 B.C.E.-After 21 C.E.
Philosopher, Geographer

Significant Source. Strabo, who was from Amaseia in Pontus, is by far the most important literary source for ancient geography. His Geographia in seventeen books gathers material from many other authors (Eratosthenes, Hipparchus, Polybius, Posidonius, and others) now lost. He studied grammar, geography, and philosophy. He knew Posidonius, and although trained as a Peripatetic philosopher, he later converted to Stoicism. He did not travel a great deal, mainly visiting Egypt and Rome. Rather than an innovator in the field of geography, Strabo serves more as an abundant source of previous geographical writers, whom he brings to bear on one another through an ongoing polemic. He is critical of Eratosthenes for combining astronomical data with coast and road measurements. In his writings he emphasizes the usefulness of geographical knowledge and how it enables generals and statesmen to...