GEOGRAPHER

Life
Philosopher, geographer and historian of the Pergamum school founded by Crates, Alexander 'the very learned' was imprisoned by the Romans in the first of the wars against King Mithridates of Pontus (88-84 BC). He was sold as a slave to a patrician, Cornelius Lentulus, and taken to Rome. Freed in 82 BC, he continued to live in Rome as a teacher; his pupils included Hyginus, whom Augustus later put in charge of his newly founded imperial library.


Work
He accepts as basic principles the fundamental "One" and the "perfect dyad": the "One" is the creative element and the "dyad" the passive.

He is cited by Pliny, Stephen of Byzantium and Suidas. Virgil and Timosthenes are known to have consulted his writings. His work, which survives only in fragments, includes:

"On Rome": 5 books.

"On Antioch" (survey of Syria).

"On India"

"On Crete"

"On Egypt": 3 books.

"On the Jews"

"On the Pythagorean symbols"

"On the Euxinus Pontus"

"On Bithynia"

"On Illyria"

"On Pamphlagonia"

"On Phrygia": 3 books.

"On Caria": 2 books.

"On Lycia": 2 books.

"On Cilicia"

"On Cyprus"

"On Syria"

"On Libya": 3 books.

"On Lycoreia"

"On the Delphic Oracle"

"On animals"

"On dreams"

Clement of Alexandria and Eusebius quote passages from his treatise "On the Jews".