Mnaseas of Patara (Μνασέας ὁ Πατρεύς) was a Greek geographer and historian of the 3rd century BCE. A student of Eratosthenes of Cyrene in Alexandria, he originated from Patara in Lycia [1][2]. No further biographical details survive.

His works are lost and known only through fragments. He authored a geographical treatise, the Periplous or Periegesis (Περίπλους / Περιήγησις), describing a circuit of Europe, Asia, and Libya, and a more focused Periplus of Europe (Περίπλους τῆς Εὐρώπης) [1][2]. Later authors, like the paradoxographer Antoninus Liberalis, cite him for regional myths and wondrous tales, indicating his writing blended geography with ethnography and local lore [1][3].

Mnaseas represents Hellenistic geographical tradition, where factual description intersected with collected mythology. His significance lies in his later use as a source, preserving fragments of cultural and geographical knowledge through compilers like Antoninus [1][3]. His tutelage under Eratosthenes also places him within the influential Alexandrian scholarly network.

Sources 1. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-4182 2. Perseus Digital Library, Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aentry%3Dmnaseas-bio-1 3. ToposText: https://topostext.org/people/1410