peoples and places in the Mediterranean, and seem to come from a variant of the later
Periplous of the Mediterranean wrongly attributed to him (-S); parts of
which, some have argued, date to an original authored by Skulax.
Ed.: FGrHist 709; BNJ 709 (Kaplan).
RE 3.1 (1927) 619–635, F. Gisinger; D. Panchenko “Scylax’ circumnavigation of India and its inter-
pretation in early Greek geography, ethnography and cosmography,” Hyperboreus 4 (1998) 211–242.
Philip Kaplan
Skulax of Karuanda, pseudo (362 – 335 BCE)
MS Paris, BNF, graecus 443 contains a periplous purportedly by S K,
which begins at the Pillars of He ̄rakle ̄s and describes the north coast of the Mediterranean,
the Black Sea, the African shore, and Morocco beyond the Pillars; a series of measurements
of distances along parallels in the Mediterranean follows; then a list of Mediterranean islands.
Although usually taken to be a sailing manual, it is unlikely to have been of practical use;
rather, it is a compendium of geographical data from different eras, providing a verbal map
of the world known to the Greeks. Details seem conflated from various sources, and the text
has suffered extensive corruption. The text gives distances throughout, either in days’ sail or
in stades; these are often inaccurate. It describes topographical features significant for sail-
ing, such as islands, gulfs, promontories, harbors, rivers, lakes, and mountains. It also gives
incidental details about man-made structures such as cities, emporia, temples, fortifications,
and shipyards. The overall view of terrestrial geography is conventional, deriving from
H and earlier Ionian speculation. Particular attention is paid to the flora and
inhabitants of the coastal regions, and some ethnographical detail is provided as well, par-
ticularly regarding Libya (Africa), along with occasional references to historical events and
Greek myth. The text’s date is uncertain and debated. In its current state it is certainly not
by Skulax, although portions may preserve his work. Internal evidence of geographical
references suggests to some the years 362–357; others place it later, 338–335; it has also
been thought a Byzantine pastiche. It is most likely an accretion of different strata, ending
in the late 4th c. BCE; the measurements along parallels are Hellenistic additions.
A. Peretti, Il periplo di Scilace (1979); E. Lipin ́ski, Itineraria Phoenicia (Studia Phoenicia 18) (2004) 337–434.
Philip Kaplan
Skumnos of Khios (175 – 145 BCE)
Greek geographer, author of a description (perie ̄ge ̄sis) of Asia and Europe in Ionic prose in at
least 16 books, mistakenly identified as the author of a later poetic perie ̄ge ̄sis (P
D). Skumnos was the son of Apelle ̄s, a proxenos to Delphi in 185 BCE. The 19 extant
fragments of his work show an interest in foundation stories, mythology and botany.
RE 3A.1 (1927) 661–687, Fr. Gisinger.
Daniela Dueck
Skuthinos of Teo ̄s (420 – 350 BCE?)
Ve r s ified H, according to H K in D L
9.16, of which one fragment is preserved in I S 1.8.43, citing from On
nature. Skuthinos also wrote a Historia which described the deeds of He ̄rakle ̄s (FGrHist 13).
NP 11.656, E. Bowie.
PTK
SKULAX OF KARUANDA, PSEUDO