GEOGRAPHER

Life
Peripatetic philosopher, geographer, historian, traveller and naturalist, Agatharchides lived in Alexandria and spent much of his life on expeditions of exploration. He is cited by Athenaeus, Strabo, Plutarch, Diodorus Siculus, Artemidorus, Lucian and Photius.


Work
"Journey around the Red Sea": 5 books (132 BC). These works, which contain valuable information about Arabia and Ethiopia, were consulted by Diodorus, Artemidorus, Aelian and Strabo.

"On Europe": 49 books on the geography and history of Asia.

"On Asia": 10 books of geography and history, with a section on Africa (Ethiopia, the Nile).

"On Africa"

"Compendium of winds": Only fragments of this work survive.

In his writings, Agatharchides provides geographic and ethnographic information about many countries and describes unusual species of plants and animals (e.g. ant lions, rhinoceros, giraffes, giant snakes, etc.). He names India and China as "the places where silk comes from", describes the way of life of the peoples of Arabia ("fish-eaters") and East Africa, provides information on the gold mines of Ethiopia, and explains the phenomenon of the periodic flooding of the Nile.