1. 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

2. 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

4. 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)

5. 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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8. 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)

9. 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.

10. 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

11. Bibliography
Braund, David. Ruling Roman Britain: Kings, Queens, Governors and Emperors from Julius Caesar to Agricola. London: Routledge, Print.
Ireland, Stanley. Roman Britain: A Sourcebook. 3rd ed. London: Routledge, Print.
Lasserre, Francois. "Strabo." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 09 Aug Web. 31 Jan <