The Edges of the Earth in Ancient Thought : Geography, Exploration, and Fiction / James S. Romm.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Romm, James S.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Geography in literature.

Classical literature--History and criticism.

Classical literature.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvi, 228 pages)

Place of Publication:

Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [1992]

Summary:

For the Greeks and Romans the earth's farthest perimeter was a realm radically different from what they perceived as central and human. The alien qualities of these "edges of the earth" became the basis of a literary tradition that endured throughout antiquity and into the Renaissance, despite the growing challenges of emerging scientific perspectives. Here James Romm surveys this tradition, revealing that the Greeks, and to a somewhat lesser extent the Romans, saw geography not as a branch of physical science but as an important literary genre.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Works Frequently Cited

Introduction

One . The Boundaries of Earth

Two. Ethiopian and Hyperborean

Three. Wonders of the East

Four. Ultima Thule and Beyond

Five. Geography and Fiction

Epilogue. After Columbus

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780691201702

0691201706

OCLC:

1132219888