Greek writer, historian and geographer of the 2nd century AD, possibly from Lydia in Asia Minor. He wrote a Description of Greece in ten books (1. Attica-Megara, 2. Argolis, 3. Laconia, 4. Messenia, 5-6. Elis-Olympia, 7. Achaea, 8. Boeotia, 10. Phocis-Delphi) which, although claiming to describe “all things Greek”, in fact concentrates on the Roman province of Achaea. This work is invaluable not only for the wealth and precision of its information about buildings and monuments (extremely useful to the contemporary archeologist) but also because it provides a great number of equally precious references to the local customs, religious practices, legends, beliefs and traditions of the places he visited.