Through the Pillars of Herakles

Description

In this first study of the Greek and Roman exploration for over half a century, Duane W. Roller presents an important examination of the impact of the Greeks and Romans on the world through the Pillars of Herakles and beyond the Mediterranean.

Roller chronicles a detailed account of the series of explorers who were to discover the entire Atlantic coast; north to Iceland, Scandinavia and the Baltic, and south into the Africa tropics. His account examines these early pioneers and their discoveries, and contributes a brand new chapter to the history of exploration.

Based not only on the literary evidence, but also personal knowledge of the areas from the Arctic to west Africa, the book looks at the people, from the earliest Greeks, through the Carthaginians to the Romans, and examines their exploration of this vast and largely unfamiliar territory.

Discussing for the first time the relevance of Iceland and the Arctic to Greco-Roman culture, this groundbreaking work is an enthralling and informative read that will be an invaluable study resource for Greek and Roman history courses

Reviews

'Roller has performed a useful service in bringing together material that is scattered about in various chapters in the general histories of ancient geography and exploration and in updating it with the results of recent studies.' – International Journal of Nautical Archaeology

Contents

Introduction 1. Greek Exploration before 500 BC 2. The Carthaginians North and South of the Pillars 3. The Atlantic Islands and Beyond 4. Pytheas of Massalia 5. Hellenistic Exploration on the Coasts of Africa 6. Late Hellenistic Exploration 7. Roman Exploration Epilogue Appendix

Related Subjects

1. Classical Greek & Roman Archaeology
2. Classical Studies
3. Greek History & Culture