Pausanias_Travel_Writing_in_Ancient Greece [Maria_Pretzler]

Editor’s Foreword
The aim of this series is to consider Greek and Roman literature primarily
in relation to genre and theme. Its authors hope to break new ground in
doing so but with no intention of dismissing current interpretation where
this is sound; they will be more concerned to engage closely with text,
subtext and context. The series therefore adopts a homologous approach
in looking at classical writers, one of whose major achievements was the
fashioning of distinct modes of thought and utterance in poetry and prose.
This led them to create a number of literary genres evolving their own
particular forms, conventions and rules – genres which live on today in
contemporary culture.
Although studied within a literary tradition, these writers are also
considered within their social and historical context, and the themes they
explore are often both highly specific to that context and yet universal and
everlasting. The ideas they conceive and formulate and the issues they
debate find expression in a particular language, Latin or Greek, and
belong to their particular era in the classical past. But they are also fully
translatable into a form that is accessible as well as intelligible to those
living in later centuries, in their own vernacular. Hence all quoted passages
are rendered into clear, modern English.
These are books, then, which are equally for readers with or without
knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages and with or without an
acquaintance with the civilisation of the ancient world. They have plenty
to offer the classical scholar, and are ideally suited to students reading for
a degree in classical subjects. Yet they will interest too those studying
European and contemporary literature, history and culture who wish to
discover the roots and springs of our classical inheritance.
The series owes a special indebtedness and thanks to Pat Easterling,
who from the start was a constant source of advice and encouragement.
Others whose help has been invaluable are Robin Osborne who, if ever we
were at a loss to think of an author for a particular topic, almost always
came up with a suitable name or two and was never stinting of his time or
opinion, and Tony Woodman, now at Virginia. The unfailing assistance of
the late John W. Roberts, editor of the Oxford Dictionary of the Classical
World, is also gratefully acknowledged. Deborah Blake, Duckworth’s indefatigable
Editorial Director, has throughout offered full support,
boundless enthusiasm and wise advice.
Finally, I pay tribute to the inspirational genius which Michael Gunvii