Editing Agatharchides (section)

==Writings==
Agatharchides was not well known in ancient times. Of his two major works, ''Affairs in Asia'' (''Ta kata ten Asian'') in ten books, and ''Affairs in Europe'' (''Ta kata ten Europen'') in forty-nine books, only a few fragments survive, too few to provide us with any sense of the contents of either work. However, for his ''On the Erythraean Sea'' (''Peri tes Erythras Thalasses'' or ''De Mari Erythraeo'') in five books, almost the entire fifth book, a geographical treatise on the [[Horn of Africa]] and the lands around the [[Red Sea]], has survived almost intact. According to Burstein, "the comparative soberness of Agatharchides' treatment compared to previous accounts and the wealth of information contained in it led to a quick recognition . . . [that it was] a valuable summary of the results of Ptolemaic exploration."

In the first book of ''On the Erythraean Sea'' was a discussion respecting the origin of the name. In the fifth Agatharchides described the mode of life amongst the [[Sabaeans]] in Arabia, and the [[Ichthyophagi]], or fish-eaters, the way in which [[elephant]]s were caught by the elephant-eaters, and the mode of working the gold mines in the mountains of Egypt, near the [[Red Sea]]. His account of the Ichthyophagi and of the mode of working the gold mines, has been copied by [[Diodorus Siculus|Diodorus]] (iii.12-18). Amongst other extraordinary animals he mentions the [[camelopard]], which was found in the country of the [[Troglodytae]], and the [[rhinoceros]].

Material from this book is quoted directly or indirectly by [[Diodorus Siculus]], [[Strabo]], [[Pliny the Elder]], [[Claudius Aelianus|Aelian]] (Claudius Aelianus), [[Josephus]]<ref>Josephus, ''[[Antiquities of the Jews]]'', Book XII, Chapter 1, 5-6; ''[[Against Apion]]'', Book I, Chapter 22.</ref> and other authors. Although Agatharchides' work was superseded by more detailed accounts in the 2nd century AD, Photius found a copy of ''Erythraean Sea'' in the 9th century, from which he preserved extensive extracts in his ''Bibliotheca''. Photius states that Agatharchides wrote in the [[Attic Greek|Attic dialect]], with a style that was dignified and perspicuous, and abounded in sententious passages—inspiring a favorable opinion from Photius. In the composition of his speeches Agatharchides was an imitator of [[Thucydides]], whom he equalled in dignity and excelled in clearness. He was acquainted with the language of the Aethiopians (''de Rubr. M.'' p.&nbsp;46), and appears to have been the first who discovered the true cause of the yearly inundations of the [[Nile]]. (Diod. i. 41.)

An Agatharchides, of [[Samos Island|Samos]], is mentioned by [[Plutarch]], as the author of a work on [[Persia]], and one περὶ λίθων. [[Johann Albert Fabricius|J.A. Fabricius]], however, conjectures that the true reading is [[Agathyrsides]], not Agatharchides. (Dodwell in Hudson's ''Geogr. Script. Gr. Minores''; Clinton, ''Fasti Hell.'' iii, p.&nbsp;535.)