UNIVERSITÄT GRAZ
UNIVERSITY OF GRAZ
Exploring the
Heartland:
Pausanias and
his Account on
Imperial
Greece's PreRoman
Cultural
Heritage
Speaker: Aaron Plattner
Description of Greece vs. Geography
Ptol. geogr. 1,1,2: Tfjc; 8s yscoypaqriac; i'Siov son TO jiiav
is m i <juvs%fj 8siKvi3vai xfiv syvcoousvr|v yfjv, dx; s%si
qyuaedx; is m i Ososcoc;, Kai us%pi uovcov xoov sv o^aic;
7rspisKxiKC0TSpai(; 7rspiypa(pau; amf\ <juvr||i|isva)v, oiov
Kohictiv Kai 7i6Xscov jisyd^cov, sOvcav is Kai 7ioxa|ic6v xcav
d^io^oycoxspcov, Kai xrov Ka6' SKaoxov si5oc;
smoruioxspcov.
The property of geography is to represent the known land
mass as one and continuous, as it has grown and is
situated, and down to the individual elements that are
connected with it within the most comprehensive outlines,
such as gulfs and large cities, the more noteworthy
populations and rivers, and what is more significant in
terms of the respective shape.
Book 1: Attica
Book 2: Corinth
Book 3: Laconia
Book 4: Messenia
Book 5: Elis
Book 6: Elis
Book 7: Achaea
Book 8: Arcadia
Book 9: Boeotia
Book 10: Phocis, Ozolian Locris
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
Description of Greece vs. Chorography
Ptol. geogr. 1,1,1: [...] ai)xr| [scil. Chorography]
jisv d7TOTS|ivo|isvr| xoix; raxd jispoc; Tonovq %copi(;
SKaoxov m i Ka6' auxov SKxiOsxai,
<juva7iOYpa(po|isvr| rcavxa o%s86v Kai xd
jiiKpoxaxa xcav sji7rspi)ax|ipavo|ievG)v, oiov
Aajisvac; Kai Kdbjiac; Kai SfijiODc; Kai xdc; and xcav
7ipd)xa)v 7ioxa|ic6v SKxp07id(; Kai xd 7rapa7iX,f|oia.
Chorography divides the places into sections and
presents each one separately and on its own,
registering almost everything, even the smallest
included elements, such as harbours, villages,
demes, the branches of the first-rank rivers and the
like.
Book 1: Attica
Book 2: Corinth
Book 3: Laconia
Book 4: Messenia
Book 5: Elis
Book 6: Elis
Book 7: Achaea
Book 8: Arcadia
Book 9: Boeotia
Book 10: Phocis, Ozolian Locris
Added Value of Studying Pausanias
1. Major Greek source from 2nd century AD
2. Knowledge about Greek local culture (cf. Herodotus)
3. Basis for evaluation of Greek-Roman contacts
4. Comparison with the teaching poem of Dionysius from Alexandria
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
Structure of Today's Lecture
1. Introduction (author, work, modern scholarship)
2. Descriptive sections (4 different types)
3. Narrative sections (Galatian invasion 279 BC)
4. Pausanias' intention
5. Description of the inhabited world by Dionysius from
Alexandria
6. Conclusion
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
1 . 1 . The Author: Pausanias
> Born around 115 AD
> Writes from around 155 AD to before 180 A.D.
> Origin maybe Asia Minor (Sipylos / Magnesia)
> Reasonably wealthy
> Close to Second Sophistic Community
1.2. The Work: Description ofGreece
Book 1: Attica
Book 2
Book 3
Book 4
Corinth
Laconia
Messenia
Book 5: Elis
Book 6: Elis
Book 7: Achaea
Book 8: Arcadia
Book 9: Boeotia
Book 10: Phocis, Ozolian Locris
Book 11?
01
3
A i t o I i a
VII
ACHAIA,
M^PHOKIS/
IX
BOIOTIA
ELIS
iV VI ARKÁDIA
VIII
MESSENIA
IV, LAKONIA
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
1.3. Modern Scholarship
Phase 1: Before WWI
Phase 2: Second half of 20th century
Phase 3: After the turn of the millennium
2. Descriptive Sections
> Selection of 23 descriptions of objects, rituals, and
sanctuaries
> Analytical category: immersive potential
> Term 'topographeme'
Theon prog, 11 (242)
Terms
> Memorial
> Monument
> Sight
> 6ed)pr|ua (i.e., 'object of actual or mental contemplation' )
> Lieu de memoire
Typology of Descriptions
Objective topographemes (objects)
Performative topographemes (rituals)
Objective-performative topographemes (combination
object-ritual)
Sacro-spatial topographemes (sanctuaries)
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
Type 1: The Paintings in the Stoa Poikile
Paus. 1,15,1
iofiai 5s 7ipdc; xr\v axoav, fjv rioiKiAr|v
6vo|id^oi)aiv 01716 TO5V ypa(po5v [...]
If one goes towards the portico [sail.
coming from the west], which they call
'Coloured' from the paintings [...]
Paus. 1,15,1
GTO&V, fjv nOlKlA,T|V 6vO|ld^ODGlV 01710
xo5v ypa(po5v
the portico, which they call 'the colourful
one' because of the paintings
Type 2: The Chthonia Festival in Hermione
Imperial copper coin
from Hermione with
Fulvia Plautilla on
the obverse showing
a victimarius on the
reverse leading a cow
on a rope. Literature:
I M H O O F - B L U M E R /
G A R D N E R 1886, p. 51
and Table M , no. 3.
Image source:
https://www.numisbi
ds.com/n.php?p=lot&
sid=5218&lot=764
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
Paus. 2,35,1:
7iap£^8oi)ai 5s sc TO xfjc;
'Ecxiaq [scil. iepov] [...]
To those who have passed
by to the temple of Hestia
[...]
Type 3: The Pelopion
Pelopion in the Altis of
Olympia (view from NE).
Photo: Aaron Plattner.
UNIVERSITY O F G R A Z
Paus. 5 4 0 4 O
mq Qvpaq Sě éaióvxi xáq xahcáq
[scil. of the temple of Zeus] [...]
If one goes to the bronze doors of
the temple of Zeus [...]
Type 4: The Olympieion in Athens
Olympieion in Athens (view from
the eastern tip of the Akropolis over
Hadrian's Gate to the SE). Photo:
Aaron Plattner.
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
Paus. 1,18,4
svxsi)6sv [scil. from the
prytaneion] iofiaiv ec;xa K&TCD
xfjc; noXeayq [...]
To those who go downtown
from there [... ]
Findings Descriptive Sections
> Overall distanced presentation
> Main focus on content and background information
> Perspectivations:
OT: visible evidence of political and cultural influence
PT: socio-religious curiosities
O-P T: destinations for pilgrims
S-S T: religious centres
Self-understanding of
Greek communities from
before 2nd century AD
3. Narrative Sections
> Historical-ethnographic cuttings
> Factual manner
> Herodotean model
> Anchored in the round trip
The Galatian Invasion 279 BC
Narrative 1 (Paus. 1,3,4-6)
Narrative 2 (Paus. 10,19,5-10,23)
3 similarities:
- Context
- Starting point
- Purpose
Paus. 10,19,5
Takax(bv Ss xfjc; &q xfjv 'EXkada £7iioxpax£iac; £%£i jisv xiva |ivf||ir|v Kai f| &q xo
Poi)^£i)xf|piov f||iiv xo AXXIKOV ouyypacpTy 7ipody£iv 8s &q xo oacpsoxspov xd &q amovq
f|6£Ax|oa £V xcp ^oycp xcp &q AsXqovq, oxi spycov xcov £7ii xouc; |3ap|3dpoDc; xd jisyioxa
tr
EXkt\oiv £vxai)Ga fjv. [...]
My report on the Attic Council building also contains a mention of the march of the
Galatians to Greece, but I wanted to make it even clearer in the section on Delphi,
because the greatest deeds of the Greeks against the barbarians took place at that time.
[-]
Paus. 10.20.1-5:
480 BC: 11 200 Greeks vs. 279 BC: 24 690 Greeks
Aetolian City of Kallion (or Kallipolis)
Findings Narrative Sections
> About background of the textual world
> Voice of an omniscient narrator
> Manner: more or less distanced
> Purpose: conveying the significance of the related topographeme for the
respective community
> Immersive potential?
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
4. Pausanias' Intention
Image of an imperial-era exhibition on 'The Cultural Heritage of Pre-Roman Greece'
> Content premise
> Form premise
> Historical context premise
Approach: historical-critical
Conclusion: The intention is to make research accessible in order to educate.
Pausanias = dpxaio^oyoq, ioxopioypdcpoq, and 7isptr|yr|Tf|c;
5. Description of the inhabited world by Dionysius from
Alexandria
Pausanias
- Description ofGreece
- 2nd half 2nc century AD
- Almost fully extant
- Greek heartland
- Prose
- Intention: didactic
Dionysius
- Description of the inhabited world
- 1 st half 2nd century AD
- Fully extant
- Oecumene
- Verse
- Intention: didactic
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
Potentially Typical Features of an Imperial-Period
'Genre Periegesis1
1. Selection of material according to criteria at the author's discretion
2. Predominant catalogue-like character of the arrangement of knowledge
3. Provision of an identification figure for the reader
4. Joint round trip of reader-identification figure and (homodiegetic first-person)
narrator
5. Virtuality of the round trip
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
Dion. Per. perieg. 1166-1169
Tóoooi |i£v raxa yaiav Ú T i é p i a i o i ávSpsc; šaoiv
aXkoi 8' £vGa Kal švGa Kax' í|7r£ÍpoDc; á^ócovxai
jiDpíoi, ovq O Ú K áv Tiq ápicppaSécoq áyop£Í)oai
GvriTÔq écbv jaowoi Sé Gsoi péa 7rávxa Swavxai.
So many are the most important people on earth;
but others wander here and there across the continents,
infinitely many. No one could possibly name them clearly,
who is a mortal, only the gods find all things easy.
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
Paus. 1,39,3:
Tooaika raid yvcb|xr|v xfjv sjifjv AGr|vaioic; yvcopijiwiaTa fjv £v is Xoyoxq
Kai G£copf||iaoiv, d7i£Kpiv£ 8£ anb TCDV noXkcbv £^ dp%fjc; 6 Xojoq J I O I id
&q oDyypacpfjv dvf|KOVTa.
That's how much the Athenians had, in my opinion, in terms of
remarkable stories and sights. From the beginning, my report filtered
what was relevant to the writing from the vast material.
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
Provision of Identification Figure for the Reader
> Phrases denoting its movements
1. Participle in the dative singular or plural (often) in conjunction with a directional
indication
e.g., Paus. 1,28,4: KaxaPaai SsOUK &q xfjv Kdxco 7r6Aav aXk'ooov VKO xd
7ipo7r6?uxia [...]
2. Finite verb in the second person singular (with additional participle or without) plus a
directional indication
e.g., Dion. PQY.perieg. 481-483: AAA' 07r6x' ASpidSoc; oraidv 7i6pov djicpixpixriq
/ sias^darjc £7ii vr\6q, 'Ir|7rDyir|v £7ii yaiav, / Sfjsic icpGijioi) Aiojxr|S£Oc; atmra
vfjoov.
- Translation: 'if one'
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
Joint Round Trip of Reader-Id. Figure and Narrator
> Institution of the Greek guide (7ispir|yr|Tf|(;)
> Acting T = author
> Complementary 'You' = reader
> Akrostichon: Dion. Per.perieg. 112-134: AIONYSIOYTONENTOE OAPOY
> Dion. PQY.perieg. 1185-1186:
[...] akXä jioi i3|ivcov
atixcov £K jiaKdpcov dvxd^ioq £ir| d(ioißfj.
[...] For my hymns
may I be justly rewarded by the gods!
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
Dion. Fer.perieg. 172-173:
SK xov8' dv yspapoq is KaiaiSoisoxspoq SITJC
dvSpi 7iap' dyvcbooovxi 7ri(pai)OK6|i£VO(; i d £Kaoxa.
Then you should be venerable and more respectable,
if you tell these things in detail to an ignorant man.
Dion. Fer.perieg. 881-886:
'Pritóícoq 5' áv TOI Xomov 7iópov aů5f|oaiui
yaiáov Aoínc;ó
5é TOI Xóyoc, év cppeoiv eaico,
jmS' ávéuoic; cpopéouo 7iovr|9£VTCOv xápic; spycov.
Eí yáp juoi oáqxx TIÍV8S KaTacppáaaaio KS^SDOOV,
f| iáxa Káv á^Xoioiv £7noTau£VCD<; áyopsúoic
Kal 7iOTauorjc; noXmv xe 0soiv Kal yaíav éKáoinv.
Effortlessly could I name to you the paths
of the countries of Asia, but the words shall remain in your memory,
and not may the reward of hard labour be carried away by winds!
For when you see this path clearly before you.
- well, then perhaps you will be able to tell others
the rivers, the position of the cities and the individual countries.
UNIVERSITY OF G R A Z
Reception of Dionysius
> 4t h
century AD: Avienus
> 6th
century AD: Priscian
> 12th
century AD: Eustathius
> Until 15th
and 16th
century AD
Virtuality of the Round Trip
> Dion. Per. perieg. 1181-1185:
f
Y|ieTc; 8' fJ7isipoi is Kai siv all %aipexe, vfjaoi, / i)8axa x' X^KsavoTo Kai
iepa %ei)|iaxa 7tovxou/ Kai 7ioxajioi Kpfjvai xs Kai oupea fir]oor\£VTa. I "H8r|
yap 7idar[q |isv S7tsSpa[iov 018|ia QaXdaar[q, I fj8r| 8' fi7isipcov G K O A I O V
7i6pov [...]
You continents and islands in the sea, farewell, / you waters of Okeanos,
sacred streams of the high seas, / you rivers, springs and mountains with
your gorges! / For I have now passed through every bulge of the sea / And
the circuit of the continents. [...]
References to Optical Perceptibility of the Textual World
> Pausanias:
e.g., svxaOOa I5OK; av (Paus. 10,11,1), Osdoaio 5'dv (Paus. 10,24,2 and Paus.
10,24,4), 6\|/8i (Paus. 10,29,7), d7ioP^8\|/avxi (Paus. 10,30,6), ei Se anidoxq (Paus.
10,31,1)
> Dionysius:
finite form of a verbum videndi in the second person singular optative with or
without the particle dv
e.g., 156: ' E K XOO 5' ay Kai Ffovxov iSoic 5i0d?iaooov sovxa.
From there [scil. the cape with the name 'ram's forehead'] one would see that the
Pontos is divided into two seas.
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
Dion. Per. perieg. 169-171:
Toir| |U8V jLLOpcpfj Kvavavjsoq ajLLcptxptxric;*
vCv 5s xoi f|7isipoi) |UD0f|oo|Liai E\8oq d7idor|(;,
ocppa Kai oi)K soiScov 7isp &%oxq sucppaoxov 67ico7if|v
Such is the shape of the dark shimmering sea.
But now I want to tell you about the shape of each continent,
so that you may have a clear idea even without having seen it.
> cppd^so (Engl, 'imagine'; 329; 1080; 1128)
Dion. Per. perieg. 985-986
TOOOOV dvsuGsv scov, ooov sp5o|Liov f||Liap ddsvoaq
icpGtjLioc; Kai Kpamvbq dvf|p dvtiosisv 65ixr|(;.
[The Tigris flows east of the Euphrates] at a distance,
which would take a strong and swift walker seven days.
> Pausanias is no travel guide
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
Dion. Per. perieg. 706-717
Tote; 8' sm Kao7iir| Kujiaivsiai d|i(pixpixr|.
Tsia 8s xoi Kai TfjvSs Kaxaypd\|/ai|ii OdXaooav,
oi) jisv i8(bv d7rdvsi)6s 7i6porj(;, orj vr|t ^spriGa^
oi) yap jioi pioc; soxi jis^aivdcov sm vr|c6v,
oi)5s jioi suTiopiri 7raxpcoiO(;, orj5' sm Edyyrjv
sp%ojiai, oid 7ispaAAxn, 'EprjOpaiorj 8id 7T6VTOD,
\j/DXfjc; OVJK d^syovxsc;, iv' do7rsxov o^pov s^covxat,
oi)5s jisv 'YpKavioic; S7ii|iioyo|iai, orj5' spssivco
KaDKaoiac; KvrijiTSac; 'EprjOpaicov Apirrvoov
aXka |is MoDodcov (popssi vooc;, airs 8i3vavxai
voocpiv d^r||io<juvr|(; 7ioA^fiv ala jiSTpfjoaoOai
oi)psd x' TJ7isip6v is Kai aiOspicov 686v doxpcov.
The Caspian Sea surges against these peoples.
I could easily write to you about this sea, too,
without having seen it from afar or reached it by ship.
For the black ships are not my world,
I am neither a merchant from my father's side, nor do I sail to the
Ganges across the Red Sea as others do without concern
for their lives, to acquire untold riches;
I neither mingle with the Hyrcanians, nor am I in search of
the Caucasian greaves of the Erythraean Arians.
But I am carried by the wits of the muses who are able,
without wandering to cover much of the sea,
mountains, continents and all the way up to the stars.
Conclusion Comparison Pausanias - Dionysius
Criteria for evaluation of Pausanias: Quality of
1. Selection of material according to criteria at the author's discretion
2. Predominant catalogue-like character of the arrangement of knowledge
3. Provision of an identification figure for the reader
4. Joint round trip of reader-identification figure and (homodiegetic first-person)
narrator
5. Virtuality of the round trip
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
6. Conclusion
> Descriptions: factual communication of content
> Narratives: information on background
Second Sophistic /
sacralisation of past
,Greekdom' and paideia
didactic intention
parallels to Dionysius' teaching poem
What is Pausanias' Description of Greece?
> Image of an imperial-era exhibition on The Cultural Heritage of PreRoman
Greece'
> Benefit 1: fits museal / antiquarian character of contemporary literature
> Benefit 2: clearly and understandably expresses Pausanias' achievements:
1. Knowledge on cultural heritage: great commitment
2. Knowledge arrangement: awareness of ancient mnemonics and
rhetorics
3. Knowledge presentation: thought and concern for an appealing form,
despite the naturally factual character (no miscellany literature)
U N I V E R S I T Y O F G R A Z
UNIVERSITÄT GRAZ
UNIVERSITY OF GRAZ
Exploring the
Heartland:
Pausanias and
his Account on
Imperial
Greece's PreRoman
Cultural
Heritage
Speaker: Aaron Plattner