Pausanias: Travel Writing in Ancient Greece (Classical Literature and Society Series) (Classical Literature and Society)

"In this book, Maria Pretzler combines a thorough introduction to Pausanias with exciting new perspectives. She considers the process and influences that shaped the "Periegesis", and maps out its literary and cultural context. Pausanias' text records contemporary interpretations of monuments and traditions, and is concerned with the identity and history of Greece, issues that were crucial concerns for Greeks under Roman rule. Parallels with various texts of the period offer insights into Pausanias' attitudes as well as illustrating important aspects of Second Sophistic culture. A discussion of Greek texts that deal with fictional or actual travel experiences provides a background for a detailed study of the Periegesis as travel literature. Pausanias' treatment of geography and his descriptions of landscapes, cities and artworks are considered in detail, and there is also a study of his methods as a historian. The final chapters deal with Pausanias' impact on modern approaches to Greece and ancient Greek culture."--Bloomsbury Publishing In this book, Maria Pretzler combines a thorough introduction to Pausanias with exciting new perspectives. She considers the process and influences that shaped the "Periegesis", and maps out its literary and cultural context. Pausanias' text records contemporary interpretations of monuments and traditions, and is concerned with the identity and history of Greece, issues that were crucial concerns for Greeks under Roman rule. Parallels with various texts of the period offer insights into Pausanias' attitudes as well as illustrating important aspects of Second Sophistic culture. A discussion of Greek texts that deal with fictional or actual travel experiences provides a background for a detailed study of the Periegesis as travel literature. Pausanias' treatment of geography and his descriptions of landscapes, cities and artworks are considered in detail, and there is also a study of his methods as a historian. The final chapters deal with Pausanias' impact on modern approaches to Greece and ancient Greek culture Cover Contents Editor’s Foreword Preface List of Illustrations 1. Approaching Pausanias’ Periegesis 2. Pausanias: the Man and his Time 3. The Importance of Travelling 4. Greek Travel Writing: Between Report and Invention 5. A Sense of Space: Landscape and Geography 6. A Sense of Time: Pausanias as Historian 7. Describing a City 8. Considering Works of Art 9. Pausanias and his Readers 10. Discovering Greece with Pausanias Epilogue: ‘Solid Instruction and Refined Amusement’? Notes Bibliography Index Locorum A D F H J L M N P S T X General Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Z Maria Pretzler. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 187-208) And Indexes.