By Elizabeth Kelley Roman Britain College of William & Mary 2/2/2017 Strabo By Elizabeth Kelley Roman Britain College of William & Mary 2/2/2017

Background (Braund; Lasserre) 64 BCE – after 21 CE From Amaseia in northern Asia Minor Prominent family under Mithridates V and Mithridates VI “the Great”, kings of Pontus In Rome by 44 BC, after Pontus’s defeat Likely considered himself a Greek Wrote his geography in Greek Very well-traveled in Italy and the provinces Spent most of his life in Italy As far west as Tuscany, east as Armenia, and south as Ethiopia Elite friends, teachers, and family Taught by former tutors of Pompey’s sons, Cicero, and Octavius Studied Aristotelian and Stoic philosophies

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Career (Braund; Lassere; Ireland) Geographer (explorer) Very popular profession with the powerful and the public Essential for the Roman expansion and economy Surveying, taxes, army, logistics, politics Writer/historian Detail-oriented, accuracy mattered, cited sources, critical Practical, well-traveled, experienced Personally knew subjects Philosopher Political force Advised against invading Britain (Ireland, 41-42)

Known Works (Lassere) Historical Sketches Published 20 BCE 47 books, mostly lost Meant to continue Polybius’s Histories The history of the known world from 145 BCE (conquest of Greece by Rome) Geographical Sketches Written 2 BCE – 14 CE – 21 CE (Tiberius) 17 volumes covering “the full extent of the Roman world” (Braund, 80) How to do geography (and astronomy) History of geography (and astronomy) and good/bad geographers WRONG: Rejected the idea of climatic zones and the habitability of the equatorial zone RIGHT: Hypothesized there might be other continents with people on them

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Modern Significance “By far the most important literary treatment of Britain between the invasions of Caesar and of Claudius is that of the geographer Strabo… Strabo’s geography is perhaps the single most valuable treatment of the Roman empire to have survived from antiquity.” (Braund, 80) “If we did not have Strabo’s account, 54 BC – 43 AD would be still more of a dark age in the history of Britain.” (Braund, 81) “…Geography is the only extant work covering the whole range of peoples and countries known to both Greeks and Romans during the reign of Augustus (27 BCE–14 CE)” (Lasserre)

Britain Without Strabo Discussion question: Strabo died soon after finishing his Geography, and his other book series is mostly lost. Hypothesize on what classical historians would assume about Britain WITHOUT Strabo’s Geography.

Strabo’s Britain Britain’s shape, size, and ways to reach it Grain (no horticulture), livestock, gold, silver, iron, hides, slaves, hunting dogs, milk (no cheese) Flat with hills, rainy and misty, dramatic tides Import amber, glassware, ivory, jewelry/trinkets Dynasts , huts, chariots Augustus received British kings Votives on the Capitol Hill Young British hostages in Rome, their appearances Heavy duties on imports and exports in Britain without resistance Not rich enough to support troops Britain was still an issue but not a pressing one Mostly repeating Cicero’s opinions and not Caesar’s Belittled Caesar’s invasions

Bibliography Braund, David. Ruling Roman Britain: Kings, Queens, Governors and Emperors from Julius Caesar to Agricola. London: Routledge, 1996. Print. Ireland, Stanley. Roman Britain: A Sourcebook. 3rd ed. London: Routledge, 2008. Print. Lasserre, Francois. "Strabo." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 09 Aug. 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2017. <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Strabo>.