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and the Palatine Epitome Kramer collected the fragments of
the last part of the 7th book, which appear for the first time
in his edition (see vol. i. of the Translation, p. 504). This
codex was written in the middle of the 14th century, and has
suffered much by time and carelessness; several leaves are
lost, and lines of the text at the top and bottom of the pages
have been cut off in the binding.
The Parisian Epitome, on which no great value is placed
by Kramer.
The Epitome of Gemistus Pletho, referred to above, is
of great value, and held in the highest estimation by all
editors.
The first appearance of Strabo's work in print was a Latin
translation by Guarini, of Verona, and Gregorio of Tiferno.
Of this, thirteen editions were printed, the first in 1469 or
1471, the twelfth in 1559, and the last in 1652. It is not
known from what manuscripts the translation was taken, nor
whether they now exist; but, though the translation itself
is barbarous, and in many passages erroneous, its fidelity to
the original is so apparent, that all editors to the present time
have consulted it as a manuscript.
The first edition of the Greek text was printed at Venice
by Aldus in 1516, and was taken from so corrupt a manuscript
that Coraÿ compares it to the Augean stable. The second
edition was a repetition of the Aldine, accompanied by the
Latin translation of Guarini, and was published by Hopper
and Heresbach, at Bâsle, in 1549. The third edition, by Xylander, in 1570, was also a repetition of the text of Aldus; but
a new Latin translation accompanied it. The fourth and fifth
editions, which do not essentially differ, were published in
1587 and 1620, by Isaac Casaubon. He collated for his
edition four manuscripts, which he obtained from his father-in-law, H. Stephens, and was the first to add a commentary;
but it is not known what manuscripts were made use of. The
edition of Almeloveen, 1707, being a reprint of Casaubon,
with notes, and an edition commenced by Brequigny, Paris,
1763, but not continued beyond the first three books, can
scarcely be placed among the number of new editions. Brequigny left a French translation in manuscript and notes in
Latin, which were consulted by the French translators.
The seventh edition was that of Thomas Falconer of Chester, and of Brasennose College, published in 2 vols. folio, at
Oxford, 1807. For the first time since Casaubon's last
edition, nearly 200 years before, manuscripts were collated
for this edition, namely, those of Eton, Moscow, the Escurial,
and the Laurentian library; the conjectural emendations
of Tyrwhitt, and notes of the editor and others, are added.
It has everything that is valuable in Casaubon's edition,
besides having corrected numberless typographical errors.
In the account given of it, the public are as much wronged
as we are abused; for no view whatever is laid before
them of its nature or its merits. note Thos. Falconer, having prepared the greater part of the work for the press, died
in 1792. A little more than the two first books were edited
by John Parsons, Bishop of Peterborough, and formerly
Master of Balliol College, Oxford; but the whole work was,
ultimately, in 1802 given up to Thomas Falconer (nephew of
the former), of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, who completed it and wrote the preface. A complete revisal of the
text, however, was not attempted.
The eighth edition was that of Professor J. P. Siebenkees,
of which great expectations were formed. The deficiencies of
his performance are strongly commented on by Kramer. Siebenkees lived to complete only the first six books; the remainder of the work was undertaken by Tzchucke, and conducted with greater skill and ability than by his predecessor.
It was published in 1811, 6 vols. 8vo.
The ninth edition is that by Coraÿ, Paris, 1815–1818, 4 vols.
8vo. Kramer passes an unfavourable opinion on it. The editor,
according to him, did not possess an aptitude for discriminating the value of the different manuscripts he collated, and
considered more what he thought ought to have been written
than what were really the author's words. Hence, although
he was successful in restoring the true readings of many passages, he corrupted not a few, and left untouched many errors.
Yet he was a very able scholar, and has the merit of attempting the first critical edition of Strabo.
The tenth edition is that by Professor Gustavus Kramer,
in 3 vols. 8vo, the first of which appeared in 1844, the last in
1852. The editor has brought to his task great ability and
