The Polyhistor serves as the primary surviving manuscript for Gaius Julius Solinus, a Latin grammarian and geographer whose work offered a descriptive account of the ancient world. Flourishing during the 3rd century AD, Solinus functioned as a compiler of historical, social, and natural phenomena, positioning his output within the tradition of chorographic documentation.
Composition and Titles
The author originally composed his text under the titles Collectanea Rerum Memorabilium, Mirabilia, or De mirabilibus mundi. Eventually, the author preferred the title Polyhistor, a name so frequently associated with the manuscript that it was later incorrectly applied to the author himself. The text features a formal dedication to Oclatinius Adventus, who served as a Roman consul in 218 AD.
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Solinus relied heavily on existing literary sources to assemble his descriptions. The majority of the material derives from Pliny's Natural History and the geographical observations of Pomponius Mela. Scholars such as Theodor Mommsen and Schanz suggest additional influences, including a chronicle attributed to Cornelius Bocchus, a chorographia Pliniana, and the Roma and Prata of Suetonius.
Legacy and Reception
The work remained popular throughout the Middle Ages, during which time it underwent revisions, possibly by the author himself. Hexameter abridgments appeared under the names Theodericus and Petrus Diaconus. Modern scholarship includes the 1895 edition by Theodor Mommsen and a 2011 PhD dissertation by Dr. Arwen Apps, which provided a contemporary English translation.
Fast facts
- Born: 0300, Italy
- Died: Rome
- Citizenship: Ancient Rome
- Occupations: Writer, historian, author, geographer, compiler
- Notable work: Polyhistor
- Language: Latin
- Primary subject: Chorography and natural history
Questions readers ask
What was the main purpose of Solinus's writing?
He intended to document curiosities of the ancient world, covering historical, religious, and natural history within a chorographic framework.
Did Solinus visit the places he described?
The available records indicate he functioned as a compiler using earlier texts by authors like Pliny and Pomponius Mela rather than as an explorer.
How was the work distributed in early modern times?
It saw an English translation by Arthur Golding in 1587, and an editio princeps was printed in Venice in 1473.
Achievements
- Recorded as writer, historian and geographer
