Gaius Julius Solinus

"As far as reason would allow, this book has been designed with a view to brevity; moderately abridged, it has neither a wasteful abundance nor a detrimental beauty of style. If you study it earnestly, you will find it is leavened with knowledge rather than veneered with a gold-leaf of eloquence.For I confess I have very conscientiously studied a number of excellent books, so I might leave the well-known subjects alone, and devote more attention to those which are less well-known. Observations of places occupy the majority of it, and nearly all the material is connected with the same. It seemed good to me to recall, in order, the famous sites on land, and the famous features of the seas, preserving the differences in the world.On the other hand, I have put in a good many other things, though harmoniously, so, if nothing else, the ennui of readers might be assuaged by the very variety. Among these I have included studies on the natures of Man and other animals. I have added some things about strange trees and the appearances of remote tribes, and the unusual rites of far-flung peoples. Also I have included not a few things, worthy of mention, which it seemed negligent to omit."

"Those who imitate the shapes of bodies, setting the rest aside, figure the head before determining the lines of the other limbs. You might say they make their beginning at the very citadel of form. So I also will make my beginning with the "head" of the world, that is, the city of Rome, although the most learned authors have left nothing which may be newly spoken in her praise, and it may be almost superfluous to re-travel the course trodden over in so many chronicles."

"Father Bacchus was the first who invaded India, and was the first of all who triumphed over the vanquished Indians. From him to Alexander the Great 6451 years are reckoned with 3 months additional, the calculation being made by counting the kings, who reigned in the intermediate period, to the number of 153."