Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/32

 18 STRABO. BOOK I. of the Romans against the Parthians furnish an excellent ex- ample, where, as in those against the Germans and Kelte, the Barbarians, taking advantage of their situation, [carriecTon the war] in marsjies, woods, and pathless deserts, deceiving the ignorant enemy as to the position of different places, and con- cealing the roads, and the means of obtaining food and necessaries. 18. As we have said, this science has an especial reference to the occupations and requirements of statesmen, with whom also political and ethical philosophy is mainly concerned ; and here is an evidence. We distinguish the different kinds of civil government by the office of their chief men, denominat- ing one government a monarchy, or kingdom, another an aristocracy, a third a democracy ; for so many we consider are the forms of government, and we designate them by these names, because from them they derive their primary characteristic. For the laws which emanate from the sove- reign, from the aristocracy, and from the people all are differ- ent. The law is in fact a type of the form of government. It is on this account that some define right to be the in- terest of the strongest. If, therefore, political philosophy is advantageous to the ruler, and geography in the actual government of the country, this latter seems to possess some little superiority. This superiority is most observable in real service. 19. But even the theoretical portion of geography is by no means contemptible. On the one hand, it embraces the arts^ mathematics, and natural, science ; on the other, history and fa^le. Not that this latter can have any distinct advantage : for instance, if any one should relate to us the wanderings of Ulysses, Menelaus, and Jason, he would not seem to have added directly to our fund of practical knowledge thereby, (which is the only thing men of the world are interested in,) unless he should convey useful examples of what those wan- derers were compelled to suffer, and at the same time afford matter of rational amusement to those who interest themselves in the places which gave birth to such fables. Practical men interest themselves in these pursuits, since they are at once commendable, and afford them pleasure ; but yet not to any great extent. In this class, too, will be found those whose main object in life is pleasure and respectability : but these