Heraclides, Criticus

Heraclides Criticus (also called Heraclides of Crete or the "Cretan") was a Greek author known for a fragmentary descriptive account of the towns and regions of mainland Greece, conventionally titled "Descriptio Graeciae" (On the Cities in Greece). Writing probably in the 3rd century BCE during the Hellenistic period, he gives vivid, sometimes opinionated notes on the character, climate, and inhabitants of cities such as Athens, Thebes, and Oropos. His work survives only in excerpts and is valued as an early example of practical travel and topographical writing.