79. Theophilus had been given in his infancy as hostage by
his countrymen of the isle of Diva, and was educated by the
Romans in learning and piety. The Maldives, of which Male,
or Diva, may be the capital, are a cluster of 1900 or 2000
minute islands in the Indian Ocean. The ancients were
imperfectly acquainted with the Maldives, but they are
described in the two Mahometan travellers of the ninth
century, published by Renaudot. Geograph. Nubiensis, p. 30,
31. D'Herbelot, Bibliotheque Orientale, p. 704. Hist.
Generale des Voyages, tom. viii.