Strabo on Aristeas as Homer’s tutor

And some say [Kreophylos] was Homer’s tutor, and others [that it was] not him, but Aristeas of Prokonnesos.

Author: Strabo

Title of Work: Geography

Location in Work: 14.1.18

Date of Work: c. 25 CE

Original Language: Greek (Attic)

Original Text:

τινὲς δὲ διδάσκαλον Ὁμήρου τοῦτόν φασιν, οἱ δ᾽οὐ τοῦτον ἀλλ᾽ Ἀριστέαν τὸν Προκοννήσιον.

Reference Edition: Radt, Geographika

Translation Notes: The word διδάσκαλος implies an adult-child, tutor-pupil relationship.

Source of Date of Work: Roller, Geography, vii

Commentary:

Strabo suggests in another story (to come in this collection), that the Odyssey’s Cyclops are based on the Arimasps.

This text is quoted nearly verbatim by Eustathios (Οn the Iliad, 2.730), attributed to ‘the geographer’.

Concordance: EGEP Aristeas T17; BNJ Aristeas (35) T4; EGF Aristeas T17; PEG Aristeas T22 and T24; Bolton, Aristeas T&F 26; FGrH Aristeas (35) T1bα