Isidore of Charax

Isidore of Charax (Ancient Greek: Ἰσίδωρος Χαρακηνός, Isídōros Kharakēnós; Latin: Isidorus Characenus) was a Greco-Roman geographer of the 1st century BC and 1st century AD about whom nothing is known but his name and that he wrote at least one work.

Isidore's name has been interpreted by his editor and translator W.H. Schoff to indicate that he was from the city of Charax in Characene on the northern end of the present Persian Gulf. However, the Greek charax merely means "palisade" and there were several fortified towns that bore the name.

Isidore's best known work is "The Parthian Stations" (Ancient Greek: Σταθμοί Παρθικοί, Stathmoí Parthikoí; Latin: Mansiones Parthicae), an itinerary of the overland trade route from Antioch to India along the caravan stations maintained by the Arsacid Empire. He seems to have given his distances in schoeni ("ropes") of debated value. Isidore must have written it some time after 26 BC, for it refers to the revolt of Tiridates II against Phraates IV, which occurred in that year. In its surviving form, "The Parthian Stations" appears to be a summary from some larger work. A reference in Athenaeus suggests that the title of the greater work was A Journey around Parthia (τὸ τῆς Παρθίας περιηγητικόν, tò tēs Parthías periēgētikón). Athenaeus's reference, not included in the present text of "The Parthian Stations", is a description of pearl fishing.

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