Agathemerus
Encyclopedia
Agathemerus was a Greek
geographer
who during the Roman Greece
period published a small two-part geographical work titled A Sketch of Geography in Epitome , addressed to his pupil Philon
. The son of Orthon, Agathemerus is speculated to have lived in the 3rd century. Although much is not known about Agathemerus historically, he lived after Ptolemy
, whom he often quotes, and before the formation of Constantinople
on the site of Byzantium
by Constantine the Great
in 328 AD as he mentions only the old city Byzantium. From his speaking of Albion
, it has been thought that he wrote not very long after the erection of the wall of Severus
. This is probably true, but the language is scarcely definite enough to establish the point.
Agathemerus's work consists chiefly of extracts from Ptolemy
, Artemidorus Ephesius
and other earlier writers. In his work, he gives a short account of the various forms assigned to the Earth by previous geographer
s. He calculated the distances between land masses and seas, and then laid down important distances on the inhabited part of the Earth using the stadiametric method.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
who during the Roman Greece
Roman Greece
Roman Greece is the period of Greek history following the Roman victory over the Corinthians at the Battle of Corinth in 146 BC until the reestablishment of the city of Byzantium and the naming of the city by the Emperor Constantine as the capital of the Roman Empire...
period published a small two-part geographical work titled A Sketch of Geography in Epitome , addressed to his pupil Philon
Philon
Philon, Athenian architect of the 4th century BC, is known as the planner of two important works: the portico of twelve Doric columns to the great Hall of the Mysteries at Eleusis and, under the administration of Lycurgus, an arsenal at Athens. Of the last we have exact knowledge from an...
. The son of Orthon, Agathemerus is speculated to have lived in the 3rd century. Although much is not known about Agathemerus historically, he lived after Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
, whom he often quotes, and before the formation of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
on the site of Byzantium
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
by Constantine the Great
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
in 328 AD as he mentions only the old city Byzantium. From his speaking of Albion
Albion
Albion is the oldest known name of the island of Great Britain. Today, it is still sometimes used poetically to refer to the island or England in particular. It is also the basis of the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland, Alba...
, it has been thought that he wrote not very long after the erection of the wall of Severus
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
. This is probably true, but the language is scarcely definite enough to establish the point.
Agathemerus's work consists chiefly of extracts from Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
, Artemidorus Ephesius
Artemidorus Ephesius
Artemidorus of Ephesus was a Greek geographer, who flourished around 100 BC. His work in 11 books is often quoted by Strabo, but only fragments of the work exist...
and other earlier writers. In his work, he gives a short account of the various forms assigned to the Earth by previous geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
s. He calculated the distances between land masses and seas, and then laid down important distances on the inhabited part of the Earth using the stadiametric method.