Solinus was the author of ("On the Wonders of the World") which circulated under the titles ("A Collection of Curious Things"), , and , the latter title being favoured by the author himself. The work is indeed a description of curiosities in a chorographic framework. Adventus, to whom it is dedicated, is identified with
Oclatinius Adventus, Roman consul in AD 218. It contains a short description of the ancient world, with remarks on historical, social, religious, and natural history questions. The greater part is taken from
Pliny's
Natural History and the geography of
Pomponius Mela. According to Mommsen, Solinus also relied upon a chronicle (possibly by
Cornelius Bocchus) and a , an epitome of Pliny's work with additions made about the time of
Hadrian. Schanz, however, suggests the
Roma and
Prata of
Suetonius. A greatly revised version of his original text was made, perhaps by Solinus himself. This version contains a letter that Solinus wrote as an introduction to the work, which gives the work the title . Both versions of the work circulated widely and eventually was taken for the author's name. It was popular in the
Middle Ages,
hexameter abridgments being current under the names of Theodericus and
Petrus Diaconus. The commentary by
Saumaise in his (1689) was considered indispensable; the 1895 edition by Mommsen includes a valuable introduction on the manuscripts, the authorities used by Solinus, and subsequent compilers. See also
Teuffel,
History of Roman Literature (English translation, 1900), 389; and
Schanz, (1904), iv. I. There is an early modern English translation by
Arthur Golding (1587) and a modern one with commentary by Dr. Arwen Apps of Macquarie University. ==Editions==