Agatharchides

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Agatharchides ( Greek Ἀγαθαρχίδης Agatharchídēs ; * around 208 BC; † after 132/131 BC) was an ancient Greek historian and geographer. His works were created during the reign of the Egyptian king Ptolemy VI. (180-145 BC).

Agatharchides came from Knidos in Asia Minor . He wrote two extensive historical works on Europe and Asia, which have only been preserved in fragments: the Asian ( Άσιατικά ), a history of Asia in 10 books (excerpts from Diodorus about the causes of the Nile threshold , description of Arabia and Ethiopia) and the Europika ( Εὐροπικά ), a history of “Europe” in 49 books (some fragments in Athenaios ). Apparently these works showed a tendency towards social criticism. In addition, Agatharchides wrote a treatise on the Red Sea ( Περὶ Πόντου Έρυθροῦ Peri Pontou Erythrou ) in 5 books, in which he discussed the work in the Egyptian gold mines. Extracts from this work, which has also been lost, have been preserved in Diodorus and Photios . Only the titles of other works are known.

Agatharchides was used by later authors such as Artemidor of Ephesus and Diodorus.

In 1935 the lunar crater Agatharchides was named after him.

expenditure

literature

personal data
SURNAME Agatharchides
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek historian and geographer
DATE OF BIRTH around 208 BC Chr.
PLACE OF BIRTH Knidos
DATE OF DEATH after 132 BC Chr.