Two New Conjectures in the Strabo's Geography and Certain Historical Inferences

Abstract

The article includes two studies involving emendations to the text of Strabo’s Geography. The first concerns the identification of the Strabo’s grandfather on his paternal side. Based on conjecture for a passage in Strabo XII. 33. 3 C 557, the author concludes that he may have borne the wide-spread Paphlagonian name Atotes. Such a supposition allows the identification of two historical individuals – Strabo’s relative Theophilos, son of Tibios (Strabo XII. 33. 3 C 558), and Theophilos the Paphlagonian, who was behind the extermination of Roman citizens in Tralleis in 88 BC (App. Mithr. 23; Dio Cass. XXX–XXXV. 101. 1). The second study is devoted to the passages on the foundation of Prusa-ad-Olympum in Strabo and Stephanos of Byzantium alluding to a certain king Prusias, who allegedly was waging war against Croisus (Strabo XII. 4. 3 C 564) or Cyrus (Steph. Byz. s.v. Προῦσα). The deletion is proposed of the inappropriate and anachronistic name of such a ruler and the substitution of the place-name Cius. This fits the historical context well; Prusias I of Bithynia both seized Cius, jointly with Philip V of Macedon, and founded Prusaad-Olympum.