to Hecatæus. From this it can be seen that the Homeric conception of
the surrounding ocean formed a chief determining feature in Hecatæus's
map. For the rest, he was acquainted with the Mediterranean, Red,
and Black Seas, and with the great rivers Danube, Nile, Euphrates,
Tigris, and Indus.

The next great name in the history of Greek geography is that of
HERODOTUS of Halicarnassus, who might indeed be equally well called
the Father of Geography as the Father of History. He travelled
much in Egypt, Babylonia, Persia, and on the shores of the Black
Sea, while he was acquainted with Greece, and passed the latter
years of his life in South Italy. On all these countries he gave
his fellow-citizens accurate and tolerably full information, and
he had diligently collected knowledge about countries in their
neighbourhood. In particular he gives full details of Scythia (or
Southern Russia), and of the satrapies and royal roads of Persia.
As a rule, his information is as accurate as could be expected at
such an early date, and he rarely tells marvellous stories, or if
he does, he points out himself their untrustworthiness. Almost the
only traveller's yarn which Herodotus reports without due scepticism
is that of the ants of India that were bigger than foxes and burrowed
out gold dust for their ant-hills.

One of the stories he relates is of interest, as seeming to show
an anticipation of one of Mr. Stanley's journeys. Five young men
of the Nasamonians started from Southern Libya, W. of the Soudan,
and journeyed for many days west till they came to a grove of trees,
when they were seized by a number of men of very small stature, and
conducted through marshes to a great city of black men of the same
size, through which a large river flowed. This Herodotus identifies