Pausanias, Description of Greece

Bibliographic Data

ID23488596
AuthorsWilliam Hutton (William & Mary, corresponding author)
Year2022
Pages290-299
Publication date2022-10-20
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeCHAPTER
VenueThe Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Mythography (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190648312.013.23
OpenAlexW4307698868
ISBN9780190648312
LanguageEN
References cited16

Pausanias’s Description of Greece, an eyewitness account of the cities and sanctuaries of the Greek mainland in the second century ce, is one of our richest sources for Greek myth. Although not written as a compendium of myth, Pausanias’s work always includes information about the mythological traditions associated with the places he visits. Most of this information comes from literary sources, both primary sources and compendia, but Pausanias also includes the testimony of local informants whom he encountered on his travels, and much of this local material is unattested in other sources. Whether his sources are literary, epigraphic, or oral, Pausanias presents himself as an energetic and discerning researcher on mythical matters. He considers early epic, especially the poems of Homer, as the most genuine source, approaching later sources with varying degrees of skepticism. He tends to favor rationalized versions of heroic sagas and shows a general distaste for divine myths that involve supernatural occurrences or unethical behavior on the part of the gods. He admits, however, that even incredible stories can have valid allegorical significance.

Art · Compendium · EPIC · Epistemology · Linguistics · Literature · Mythology · Poetry · Skepticism · Classical Antiquity Studies · Classics · History · Philosophy

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