Pytheas of Massalia

Texts, Translation, and Commentary

Lionel Scott

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English

Routledge
25 September 2023

Literature, Poetry & Criticism; Literary studies: classical, early & medieval; Classical history & classical civilisation; Human geography

Series: Routledge Classical Translations

Pytheas of Massalia (Marseille), mariner, explorer, geographer and astronomer, made a pioneering voyage into the then unknown Atlantic around 325 BC, reaching Britain and the Baltic; this book collects and translates the references to him and his book (which is lost), and discusses and explains them.

The Greeks of Pytheas' time knew virtually nothing of northern Europe beyond the often-fantastical stories of traders, and Pytheas was the first person to provide factual, first-hand information on this region. His journey covered Iberia, France, Britain, from where he travelled so far north that he encountered ice floes; he then reached the Baltic. It was he who recorded Thule, and his astronomy enabled him to locate it on the Arctic Circle. Two thirds of our references to Pytheas come from Pliny and Strabo; their methods of work, as well as the perils of manuscript transmission, are explored in this volume. Scott also includes discussions and appendices on these areas to enable the scope of available references to be understood as a whole. There are some details of Pytheas' voyage that are lost, but the book offers balanced reasons for proposing how we may reasonably fill them in.

The breadth of Pytheas' achievements and the areas and topics his work covers mean that he has a wide range of appeal within classical studies and ancient history. This volume provides an invaluable resource to undergraduate and postgraduate students of early geography and astronomy, and Greece’s knowledge of and relationship to the rest of Europe in this period.

By: Lionel Scott
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 540g
ISBN: 9781032020068
ISBN 10: 1032020067
Series: Routledge Classical Translations
Pages: 202
Publication Date: 25 September 2023
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Dr Lionel Scott is a classically educated retired barrister, whose publications include Were There Polis Navies in Archaic Greece?, BAR Int Series 899 (2000) 93-115, and Historical Commentary on Herodotus Book VI (2005).

Reviews for Pytheas of Massalia: Texts, Translation, and Commentary

"""Because of the way it challenges some accepted deductions about Pytheas and his voyage, and because it is very well produced, Scott’s edition is a welcome addition to the studies on the Greek explorer."" - Bryn Mawr Classical Review"