-Diodorus Siculus' Library of History

With The Library of History, Diodorus Siculus set out to compile a complete history of the world from mythological times to approximately 60 BCE. Although only fifteen of a total forty books in this history have survived, it is one of the most well-preserved historical narratives from antiquity. Like many classical historians, Diodorus drew on the works of previous writers, including Polybius and Posidonius.

In his geographical account of the world, Diodorus mentions the island of Pa-Anch and the northern land of Thule. Pa-Anch is said to be located south of the Red Sea in the Gulf of Aden, and is described as agriculturally lush and home to jungle creatures. The island is governed by a triumvirate consisting of priests, farmers, and soldiers. Thule, described as an island in the North Atlantic, has been used as a reference for the furthest possible northern location. Much like Hyperborea (also displayed), it was said that the sun did not set between the summer and winter solstices, after which time the sun did not rise for a long period of time. In the 2nd century, geographer Claudius Ptolemy located Thule to the Northeast of Britain at the 63rd parallel, where it remained on Ptolemaic maps for over a thousand years. The legend of Thule was integrated into the Nazi’s mythology as the origin of the Aryan race and it has continued to be used by white supremacists.