Extracting, investigating and representing geographical concepts in Herodotus: the case of the Black Sea

Barker, Elton; Bouzarovski, Stefan; Isaksen, Leif and Pelling, Chris (2013). Extracting, investigating and representing geographical concepts in Herodotus: the case of the Black Sea. In: The Bosporus: Gateway between the Ancient West and East (1st Millennium BC–5th Century AD) (Tsetskhladze, Gocha R.; Atasoy, Sümer; Avram, Alexandru; Dönmez, Şevket and Hargrave, James eds.), BAR International Series, Archaeopress, Oxford, pp. 7–17.

Abstract

In a short break from his preparations for the invasion of Scythia, Darius stops off where the Bosporus was bridged and sails to the Dark Rocks, apparently retracing the steps of the Argonauts.1 ‘There’, Herodotus reports, ‘he sat on the headland and viewed the Pontus, a wonderful sight’ (έζόμενος δέ έπί ρίω έθηεĩτο τόν Πόντον έόντα άξιοθέητον 4. 85. 1).2 In this paper, we aim to bring that wonderful sight to life using the latest digital technology, and to set out some of the ways in which the world that Herodotus describes can now be represented. At the same time, however, we will be concerned to show the potential of digital technologies for opening up new lines of enquiry, in particular the investigation of the ‘deep’ topological structures that underpin the Histories. After all, the Persian king is not the only figure to take an interest in the Pontus as a geographical concept: the historian too shows an interest in the Black Sea by extensively mapping the region and its place in the world, both before and after this episode (4. 37-45; 4. 99-101). The way that Herodotus articulates this space himself, which frames, and to a certain extent pre-empts, Darius’ invasion of Scythia, will be the concern of this
paper.

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