Strabo - The Greek Geographer and Historian Who Shaped Our Understanding of the Ancient World

Strabo (c. 63 BC – c. AD 24) was a Greek geographer and historian who lived in the Roman Empire. He is best known for his work "Geographica", which is one of the most important sources of information about the ancient world.

Strabo was born in Amaseia, a city in the kingdom of Pontus, which is now part of modern-day Turkey. He studied under several prominent philosophers and historians of the time, including Aristodemus of Cappadocia and Tyrannion of Amisus. He later moved to Rome, where he became a tutor to the son of the Roman emperor Augustus.

Strabo's "Geographica" is a comprehensive work of geography that covers the entire known world at the time. It includes descriptions of the physical features of different regions, their climate, culture, and history. The work is divided into 17 books, each of which focuses on a different region of the world. Strabo drew heavily on earlier Greek and Roman sources, as well as his own travels and observations, to create a detailed and accurate portrait of the ancient world.

Strabo's "Geographica" has been widely influential in the development of Western geography and cartography. It was one of the primary sources used by Christopher Columbus to plan his voyage to the New World, and it remains an important reference for historians and geographers today.