Pseudo-Scymnus
Encyclopedia
Pseudo-Scymnus is the name given by Augustus Meineke
to the unknown author of a work on geography
written in Classical Greek, The Circumnavigation of the Earth, an anonymous verse periegesis first published at Augsburg
in 1600. It was originally ascribed to Marcianus of Heraclea
, then to Scymnus
of Chios
, until this was disproven by Meineke (edition, 1846).
It is dedicated to a King Nicomedes, most likely Nicomedes IV of Bithynia
, which would place its composition around 90 BC. A geographical summary in iambic
verse, it has some worthwhile material on the coasts of Spain
, Liguria
, the Euxine (Black Sea), data on various Greek
colonies, as well as information about the ancient Umbrians, Celts, Liburnians
, and other peoples.
Augustus Meineke
Johann Albrecht Friedrich August Meineke , German classical scholar, was born at Soest in Westphalia.After holding educational posts at Jenkau and Danzig , he was director of the Joachimsthal Gymnasium in Berlin from 1826 to 1856. He died at Berlin on 12 December 1870...
to the unknown author of a work on geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
written in Classical Greek, The Circumnavigation of the Earth, an anonymous verse periegesis first published at Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
in 1600. It was originally ascribed to Marcianus of Heraclea
Marcian of Heraclea
Marcian of Heraclea was a minor Greek geographer of Late Antiquity .His surviving works are:*Periplus maris externi, ed. Müller ,515-562....
, then to Scymnus
Scymnus
Scymnus of Chios was a Greek geographer. He was said to have been the author of a periegesis in prose.An anonymous verse periegesis first published at Augsburg in 1600, originally ascribed to Marcianus of Heraclea, was long thought to be the lost work of Scymnus, but this was shown not to be the...
of Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
, until this was disproven by Meineke (edition, 1846).
It is dedicated to a King Nicomedes, most likely Nicomedes IV of Bithynia
Nicomedes IV of Bithynia
Nicomedes IV Philopator, was the king of Bithynia, from c. 94 BC to 74 BC. He was the first son and successor of the Monarchs Nicomedes III of Bithynia and Nysa and had a sister called Nysa....
, which would place its composition around 90 BC. A geographical summary in iambic
Iambus (genre)
Iambus was a genre of ancient Greek poetry that included but was not restricted to the iambic meter and whose origins modern scholars have traced to the cults of Demeter and Dionysus. The genre featured insulting and obscene language...
verse, it has some worthwhile material on the coasts of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
, the Euxine (Black Sea), data on various Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
colonies, as well as information about the ancient Umbrians, Celts, Liburnians
Liburnians
The Liburnians were an ancient Illyrian tribe inhabiting the district called Liburnia, a coastal region of the northeastern Adriatic between the rivers Arsia and Titius in what is now Croatia....
, and other peoples.
See also
- ScymnusScymnusScymnus of Chios was a Greek geographer. He was said to have been the author of a periegesis in prose.An anonymous verse periegesis first published at Augsburg in 1600, originally ascribed to Marcianus of Heraclea, was long thought to be the lost work of Scymnus, but this was shown not to be the...
- Pausanias of DamascusPausanias of DamascusPausanias of Damascus wrote in the last quarter of the 2nd century BC and composed the versified description of the ancient coastal regions that is commonly known as the work of Pseudo-Scymnus....