Synopses & Reviews
The Periegesis Hellados (Description of Greece) by Pausanias is the most important example of non-fictional travel literature in ancient Greek. With this work Professor Hutton provides the first book-length literary study of the Periegesis Hellados in nearly one hundred years. He examines Pausanias' arrangement and expression of his material and evaluates his authorial choices in light of the contemporary literary currents of the day and in light of the cultural milieu of the Roman empire in the time of Hadrian and the Antonines. The descriptions offered in the Periegesis Hellados are also examined in the context of the archaeological evidence available for the places Pausanias visited. This study reveals Pausanias to be a surprisingly sophisticated literary craftsman and a unique witness to Greek identity at a time when that identity was never more conflicted.
Synopsis
The second-century CE work Periegesis Hellados (Description of Greece) by Pausanias is the most important example of non-fictional travel literature in ancient Greek. The choices Pausanias makes as a traveller and an author are examined against contemporary literary currents, the cultural background of the Roman Empire at its height, and the archaeological remains in the places which he visited. Through this study Pausanias emerges as a pilgrim, an explorer, and a unique witness to what it meant to be a Greek subject of the Roman Empire.
Synopsis
William Hutton provides the first exhaustive literary study of the Periegesis Hellados, the most important example of non-fictional travel literature in ancient Greek, to appear in nearly one hundred years. He examines Pausanias' arrangement and expression of his material and evaluates his authorial choices in light of the contemporary literary currents of the day and the cultural milieu of the Roman empire in the time of Hadrian and the Antonines. The descriptions offered in the Periegesis Hellados are also examined in the context of the archaeological evidence available for the places Pausanias visited.
About the Author
William Hutton is Assistant Professor of Classical Studies at the College of William &Mary, Virginia. He has published articles on classical studies in Minos and Ancient History Bulletin.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction; 2. Pausanias' world; 3. Designing the Periegesis; 4. Marking territories; 5. City descriptions; 6. The landscapes of language; 7. Sui generis; 8. A periegete's progress.