Marcian of Heraclea

Marcian of Heraclea (Ancient Greek: Μαρκιανὸς Ἡρακλεώτης, Markianòs Hērakleṓtēs; Latin: Marcianus Heracleënsis; fl. c. 4th century AD) was a minor Greek geographer from Heraclea Pontica in Late Antiquity.^[1]

His known works are:

• Periplus of the Outer Sea (Greek: Περιπλοισ τησ εΞω Θαλασσησ^[2]).^[3][4] It mentions places from the Atlantic ocean to China.^[1]
• An epitome of Menippus of Pergamon.^[5]
• An epitome of Artemidorus Ephesius:^[6]
• On the Distances of Cities from Rome.^[7]

Artemidorus and Menippus both likely wrote around the 1st century AD.^[8] Only little survives of the epitomes, through citations in the work of Stephanus of Byzantium,^[9] but in the case of Menippus there is also some manuscript material. From it, it seems Marcian had not improved much upon Menippus.^[8] Early in its publication history, the work of Pseudo-Scymnus had been attributed to Marcian. Apart from his writings, philologists believe that an annotated collection Marcian made of his sources in geography formed the basis of today's extant manuscripts of these earlier works.^[9][10]

The date of Marcian can only be inferred. He was earlier than Stephen of Byzantium, by whom he is quoted, and later than Ptolemy, upon whose work his own depends. Salmasius in his Exercitationes Plinianae^[11] placed him about the time of Synesius, who speaks of a Marcian in his "Epistola C" to the Heracleote rhetor Pylaemenes. But there is danger of error in assuming this to be the same Marcian. Müller places him about A.D.400.^[7]

Manuscripts and Publication History

The text of Markianos/Marcian is preserved in 3 medieval manuscripts:

• Codex Parisinus 443 (12th century)
• Codex Vaticanus 442 (15th century)
• Codex Monacensis 566 (16th century)

The publication history is:

• Hoeshelius, Augsberg (1600) (Editio princeps)
• Dodwell's Hudson, Oxford (1798)
• Zosimiadon, Vienna (1807)
• E. Muller, Paris (1839)
• Hoffman, Leipzig (1841)
• C. Muller, Paris (1853) (textus receptus for Schoff's 1927 English translation)^[7]

References

Citations

1. Kazhdan, A. P (1991). The Oxford dictionary of Byzantium. Vol. 2. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 1302. ISBN 978-0-19-504652-6.
2. Mueller, Karl (1882). Geographi graeci minores. E codicibus recognovit, prolegomenis, annotatione, indicibus instruxit, tabulis aeri incisis illustravit Carolus Müllerus. Robarts - University of Toronto. Parisiis Editoribus Firmin-Didot. p. 515.
3. Periplus maris exteri, ed. Müller (1855),515-562.
4. Schoff, 1927
5. Menippi periplus maris interni (epitome Marciani), ed. Müller (1855), 563-572.
6. Artemidori geographia (epitome Marciani), ed. Müller (1855), 574-576.
7. Schoff, Wilfred H. (1927). Periplus of the Outer Sea, East and West, and of the Great Islands Therein. Commercial museum. p. 9.
8. Diller, 147-150
9. Diller, 45-47
10. Bianca Maria Altomare, For a new critical edition of Marcianus of Heraclea (Summary of PhD Thesis)
11. Saumaise, Claude; Water, Johann van de; Water, Willem van de; Halman, François; Ribbius, Johannes (1689). Claudii Salmasii plinianae exercitationes in Caji Julii solini polyshistora Item Caji Julii Solini polyhistor ex veteribus libris emendatus. Accesserunt huic editione de homonymis hyles iatricae exercitationes antehac ineditae, ... ; tomus II. Biblioteca de la Universidad de Sevilla. Trajecti ad Rhenum : Apud Johannem vande Water, Johannem Ribbium, Franciscum Halma, et Guilielmum Vande Water, ...

Bibliography

• Bunbury, Edward (1879), A History of Ancient Geography among the Greeks and Romans from Earliest Ages till the Fall of the Roman Empire, vol. II, London: John Murray, pp. 660 ff
• Diller, Aubrey (1952), The Tradition of the Minor Greek Geographers, American Philological Association, hdl:2027/mdp.39015011229641.
• Dittrich, Heinrich Theodor, under the pseudonym B. Fabricius, ed. (1843), Lectiones Marcianeae..., Dresden: B. G. Teubner. (in Latin) & (in Greek)
• Müller, Karl Wilhelm Ludwig, ed. (1882), Geographi Graeci Minores, vol. I, Paris: Firmin-Didot & Co., pp. 515-576.
• Schoff, Wilfred Harvey, ed. (1927), Periplus of the Outer Sea, East and West, and of the Great Islands Therein, Philadelphia: Commercial Museum, OCLC 5303996.