Re: Imperialism as the source of new geograpohical knowledge

From: george knysh
Message: 67585
Date: 2011-05-22
> 2. Strabo has telescoped information from a number of Pontic
> campaigns in the north. We know, for instance, that the military
> help provided to Chersonesos against the Scythians occurred much
> earlier, after the death of Skilur (Skiluros) c. 112 (who had been
> responsible for the "sack" i.e. the conquest of Chersonesos holdings
> in the northern Crimea), when his son Palak was Scythian King.
> Mithradates' general was Diophantes, and at that time Chersonesos
> retained its full political autonomy. Cf. the decree on Diophantos
> at 
> http://www.chersonesos.org/?p=museum_coll_ep1&l=eng

More like 110-108 BCE. And I would maintain that Strabo in this passage refers only to that period, not some later war with Bastarnae and Sarmatae.
 
****GK: The Diophantes campaigns are now definitely dated to ca. 110-108 BCE.  Ca. 112 is a putative date for the death of Skilur (who is no longer alive when Diophantes acts).
I don't think Mithradates was planning any assault on Rome that early. Neither does anyone else. His own active presence in northern climes is not otherwise attested for those early years.****