Hecataeus
(ca. 550-490 BC)
Geographer
and travel writer from Miletus (today's Turkey). He wrote "Trip around
the world" (Periodos Ges), where he described local customs, anecdotes
etc. in two volumes, one on Europe and one on Asia. The work has only survived
in fragments, and included a map as well.
Hecataeus traveled
in Egypt, Persia and Scythia. His father was a wealthy land owner and there
are indications the family was involved with trade.
He also wrote "Genealogies", a treatise on noble families and heir
relations with mythical heroes. When he described he histories and myths,
he liked the stories to be reasonable, and so concluded that the Danaids
were 20 and not 50 etc.
