Describing Greece
Landscape and Literature in the Periegesis of Pausanias

Examines the most important work of non-fiction travel literature in antiquity, Pausanias' Description of Greece.

William Hutton (Author)

9780521072243, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 14 August 2008

388 pages, 10 b/w illus. 12 maps 2 tables
22.5 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm, 0.57 kg

Review of the hardback: '[Hutton] demonstrates the variety of design for the description of both territories and cities.' Journal of Classics Teaching

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 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.

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.

Subject Areas: Classical Greek & Roman archaeology [HDDK], Early history: c 500 to c 1450/1500 [HBLC], European history [HBJD]