Eratosthenes seems, from the nature of his studies, not to have availed
himself so much as he might have done of the treasures contained in the
Alexandrian library under his care, to correct or extend the geographical
knowledge of his contemporaries. The same observation will not apply to
Agatharcides, who was president of the library after Eratosthenes. The
exact time at which he flourished is not known: according to Blair, he was
contemporary with Eratosthenes, though younger than him, and flourished 177
A.C., Eratosthenes having died at the age of eighty-one, in the year 194
A.C. Dodwell, however, fixes him at a later period; viz. 104 A.C.; but this
date must be erroneous, because Artemidorus of Ephesus, who evidently
copies Agatharcides, undoubtedly lived 104 A.C. Agatharcide's was born at
Cnidus in Caria: no particulars are known respecting him, except that he
was president of the Alexandrian library, in the reign of Ptolemy
Philometor, if he flourished 177 A.C.; and in the reign of Ptolemy
Lathyrus, if, according to Dodwell, he did not flourish till 104 A.C.
The only work of his which is preserved, is a Treatise on the Erythraean
Sea; and this we possess only in the Bibliotheca of Photius, and
incorporated in the history of Diodorus Siculus. The authority of
Agatharcides was very high among the ancients. Strabo, Pliny, and Diodorus,
always mention him with the utmost respect, and place implicit confidence
in his details. Diodorus expressly states that Agatharcides and Artemidorus
(who, as we have already mentioned, was merely his copyist) are the only
authors who have written truth concerning Egypt and Ethiopia; and Strabo
follows him in all that relates to the latter country, the countries lying
to the south of Egypt, and the western coast of Arabia. In fact, for nearly
200 years, the ancient historians and geographers drew all the information
they possessed respecting the portions of the world embraced in the work of
Agatharcides from that work. It has been well observed, "that when Pliny
speaks of the discoveries on the coast of Malabar in his own age, and adds,
that the names he mentions are new, and not to be found in previous
writers, we ought to consider him as speaking of all those who had followed
the authority of the Macedonians, or the school of Alexandria; of which, in
this branch of science, Eratosthenes and Agatharcides were the leaders."
From the circumstance that Strabo appeals very frequently to the authority
of Eratosthenes, in conjunction with that of Agatharcides, it has been
conjectured, that the work of the latter contains all that the former knew,
with the addition of his own information; and this conjecture is highly
probable, considering that Agatharcides had access to the sources whence
Eratosthenes drew his information; to the works of Eratosthenes themselves,
which of course would be deposited in the Alexandrian library; and to all
the additional works which had enriched the library from the time of
Eratosthenes, as well as the additional information which the extensive
commerce of Alexandria would supply.
The work of Agatharcides, therefore, having been in such estimation by the
ancient historians and geographers, and the only source from which, during
200 years, they drew their information, and having been compiled by a
person, who, it is probable, had better and fuller means of rendering it
accurate and complete than any of his contemporaries enjoyed; it will be
proper to give a pretty full abstract of the most interesting and important
part of its contents.
The veracity of this author was questioned by Plutarch, from his narrating
a circumstance, which, to us of the present day, is a strong confirmation
of the truth and accuracy of his information. Agatharcides takes notice of
the worm which is formed in the legs, and which insinuates itself there in
such a manner, that it is necessary to wind it out with the utmost caution.
Plutarch ridicules and rejects this story, and says it never has happened,
and never will. But that such a worm exists, and that when it insinuates
itself into the leg it must be drawn out with the utmost caution, lest the
smallest portion of it remain, and thus produce disease, is directly and
fully attested by all the travellers, and particularly by Bruce, who
carried with him to the grave the marks and effects of the attack of this
species of worm.
But the most curious and important portion of the work of Agatharcides on
the Red Sea, relates to Abyssinia; for in this work we meet with the first
genuine characteristics of this nation. He specifies particularly the gold
mines wrought by the kings of Egypt on the coast of the Red Sea; - the
process which they followed to procure and separate this metal; - the
sufferings which the miners underwent in their operations are painted in
very strong language: "The multitude of bones still found in these
excavations, he says, is incredible, of wretches crushed by the falling-in
of the earth, as must naturally happen in a loose and crumbling soil." He
adds a circumstance, to which there are many parallel in our own country,
in those mines which are supposed to have been wrought by the Romans; viz.
the tools of copper found in these gold mines, supposed to have been used
by the native Egyptians, prior to the conquest of Egypt by the Persians.
The next particular mentioned by Agatharcides, respecting the Abyssinian
coast of the Red Sea, is very conclusive, with respect to his accuracy and
credibility. In Meroe, or Abyssinia, he says, they hunt elephants and
hamstring them, and afterwards cut the flesh out of the animal alive: he
adds, that the inhabitants are so extremely fond of the flesh of the
elephant, thus procured, that when Ptolemy would have paid any price to
purchase these animals alive, as he wanted them for his army, the
Abyssinian hunters refused his offer, declaring that not all the wealth of
Egypt would tempt them to forego their favourite and delicious repast.
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