of it more complete.

It is evident that the principal accessions to geographical knowledge among
the Romans, at least till their ambition was satinted, or nearly so, by
conquest, must have been derived from their military expeditions. It is
only towards the time of Augustus that we find men, whose sole object in
visiting foreign countries was to become acquainted with their state,
manners, &c.

Polybius is one of the earliest authors who give us a glimpse of the state
of geographical knowledge among the Romans, about the middle of the second
century before Christ, the period when he flourished. lie was the great
friend of Scipio, whom he accompanied in his expedition against Carthage.
From his enquiries while in Africa, he informed himself of the geography of
the northern parts of that quarter of the world; and he actually visited
the coast as far as Mount Atlas, or Cape Nun, beyond which, however, he
does not seem to have proceeded. He wrote a Periplus, or account of his
voyage, which is not in existence, but is referred to and quoted by Pliny.
He possessed also more accurate information of the western coasts of Europe
than was had before; derived, it would appear, from the voyages of some
Romans. Yet, with all this knowledge of what we may deem distant parts,
Polybius was ignorant of the real shape of Italy, which he describes as
stretching from east to west; a mistake which seems to have originated with
him, and was copied by Strabo.

Varro, who was Pompey's lieutenant during the war against the pirates, and
obtained a naval crown on that occasion, among the almost infinite variety
of topics on which he wrote, was the author of a work on navigation;
unfortunately, however, only the title of it is extant: had it yet
remained, it would have thrown much light on the state of navigation,
geography, and commerce among the Romans in his time.

Julius Caesar's attention to science in the midst of his wars and perils is
well known. He first formed the idea of a general survey of the whole
empire; and for this purpose obtained a decree of the senate. The survey
was finished by Augustus: the execution of it was committed to three Greek
geographers. The survey of the eastern portion of the empire was committed
to Zenodoxus, who completed it, in fourteen years, five months, and nine
days. The northern division was finished by Theodoras in twenty years,
eight months, and ten days: and the southern division was finished in
tw