This commentary provides an in-depth analysis of Strabo's Geography, a crucial text in understanding the history of Greek geography. It offers insights into Strabo's observations and interpretations of various regions, cultures, and historical events. By presenting the first English translation, the book makes Strabo's work accessible to a broader audience, enhancing the study of ancient geography and its relevance to contemporary scholarship.
Focusing on ancient geography, this volume presents translations and commentaries on three significant figures: Hanno of Carthage, known for his exploration around 500 BC; the Periodos, dedicated to King Nikomedes from the late second century BC; and Avienus from the fourth century AD. Each work offers insights into the geographical knowledge and exploration of the Greco-Roman world, highlighting the evolution of cartography and the cultural context of these historical figures.
This volume features five essays that explore the latest developments in the study of geography in classical antiquity. Arranged chronologically, the contributions span several centuries of ancient geographical scholarship, covering topics from ancient Mesopotamia and the prehistoric New World to the Roman Empire. The essays delve into ancient cosmology, literary interpretations of geography, navigation, and the geographical context of the Roman Imperial world.
Paul T. Keyser begins with an examination of how Greek scholars were influenced by early Near Eastern beliefs about the cosmos. Duane W. Roller follows with a text and commentary on a navigational guide for Ptolemaic seamen, authored by Timosthenes of Rhodes, chief of naval staff under Ptolemy II. Georgia L. Irby analyzes the Shield of Aeneas from Vergil's *Aeneid* and studies Pomponius Mela’s *Chorographia*, the earliest surviving Greco-Roman geographical treatise. Molly Ayn Jones-Lewis concludes with an exploration of Tacitus's *Germania*, highlighting its reliance on environmental determinism, a concept still relevant today.
These essays collectively showcase the diversity of ancient geographical scholarship, both historically and in contemporary discourse, making the volume a valuable resource for ancient historians and scholars in classical studies, particularly those interested in the cultural and political dimensions of geography.
What is commonly called the kingdom of Pontos flourished for over two hundred years in the coastal regions of the Black Sea. At its peak in the early first century BC, it included much of the southern, eastern, and northern littoral, becoming one of the most important Hellenistic dynasties not founded by a successor of Alexander the Great. It also posed one of the greatest challenges to Roman imperial expansion in the east. Not until 63 BC, after many violent clashes, was Rome able to subjugate the kingdom and its last charismatic ruler Mithridates VI. This book provides the first general history, in English, of this important kingdom from its mythic origins in Greek literature (e.g., Jason and the Golden Fleece) to its entanglements with the late Roman Republic. Duane Roller presents its rulers and their complex relationships with the powers of the eastern Mediterranean and Near East, most notably Rome. In addition, he includes detailed discussions of Pontos' cultural achievements--a rich blend of Greek and Persian influences -- as well as its political and military successes, especially under Mithridates VI, who proved to be as formidable a foe to Rome as Hannibal. Previous histories of Pontos have focused almost exclusively on the career of its last ruler. Setting that famous reign in its wide historical context, Empire of the Black Sea is an engaging and definitive account of a powerful yet little-known ancient dynasty.
The Discovery of the World in Classical Greece and Rome
304 Seiten
11 Lesestunden
The last dedicated book on ancient geography was published more than sixty years ago. Since then new texts have appeared (such as the Artemidoros palimpsest), and new editions of existing texts (by geographical authorities who include Agatharchides, Eratosthenes, Pseudo-Skylax and Strabo) have been produced. There has been much archaeological research, especially at the perimeters of the Greek world, and a more accurate understanding of ancient geography and geographers has emerged. The topic is therefore overdue a fresh and sustained treatment. In offering precisely that, Duane Roller explores important topics like knowledge of the world in the Bronze Age and Archaic periods; Greek expansion into the Black Sea and the West; the Pythagorean concept of the earth as a globe; the invention of geography as a discipline by Eratosthenes; Polybios the explorer; Strabo's famous Geographica; the travels of Alexander the Great; Roman geography; Ptolemy and late antiquity; and the cultural reawakening of antique geographical knowledge in the Renaissance, including Columbus' use of ancient sources
