The title prefixed to the Compendium of Mela in the best MSS. is After a short prooemium, in which he dwells upon the importance and the difficulties of the undertaking, and states the manner in which he proposes to execute his task, he proceeds to define the cardinal points, and to explain the division of the world into two hemispheres and five zones. The northern hemisphere is that portion of the earth which is known, and is separated by the impassable torrid zone from the southern hemisphere, which is altogether unknown, and is the abode of the Anticthones. The northern or known hemisphere is completely surrounded by the ocean, which communicates with the four great seas: one on the north, the Caspian; two on the south, the Persian and the Arabian; one on the west, the Mediterranean, with its subdivisions of the Hellespont, the Propontis, the Thracian Bosporus, the Euxine, the Cimmerian Bosporus, and the Palus Maeotis. By this sea and the two great rivers, the Tanais and Nile, the whole of the northern hemisphere is portioned out into three great divisions. All to the north of the Mediterranean and the west of the Tanais constitute Europe; all to the south of the Mediterranean and the west of the Nile constitute Africa; what remains is Asia. Next follows a brief general description of the three continents, and an enumeration of the chief tribes by which they are inhabited. These preliminaries being discussed, the author enters upon more minute details, and makes a complete circuit of the known world, tracing first the coast of the Mediterranean and the shores of the ocean. Thus commencing at the straits of Hercules with Mauritania, he passes on in regular order to Numidia, Africa Proper, the Cyrenaica, Egypt, Arabia, Syria, Phoenicia, Cilicia, Pamphylia, Lycia, Caria, Ionia, Aeolis, Bithynia, Paphlagonia, the Asiatic nations on the Euxine and the Palus Maeotis, European Scythia, Thrace, Macedonia, Greece, the Peloponinesus, Epirus, Illyricum, Italy from the head of the Adriatic round by Magna Graecia to the Ligurian Gulf, Gallia Narbonnensis, and the eastern coast of Spain. (Hispaniae ora citerior.) The tour of the Mediterranean being now completed, a chapter is devoted to its islands. Passing beyond the Straits, we stretch along the western coast of Spain (Hispaniae ora exterior), the western coast of Gaul (Galliae ora exterior), the islands of the Northern Ocean, Germany, Sarmatia, the shores of the Caspian, the Eastern Ocean and India, the Mare Rubrum and its two gulfs, the Persian and Arabian, Aethiopia, and those portions of Aethiop a and Mauritania bordering upon the Atlantic, which brings him round to the point from which he started. It will be seen from the above sketch that the existence of the northern countries of Europe and of the northern and eastern countries of Asia were unknown, it being supposed that these regions formed part of the ocean, which, in like manner, was supposed to occupy the whole of Central and Southern Africa.

As might be expected in a tract which consists chiefly of proper names, the text is often excessively and hopelessly currupt, but the style is simple, unaffected, and perspicuous; the Latinity is pure; all the best authorities accessible at that period, especially Eratosthenes, appear to have been carefully consulted; and although everything is compressed within the narrowest limits, we find the monotony of the catalogue occasionally diversified) by animated and pleasing pictures.