This volume is dedicated to the exploration of the readings of Pausanias and their relationships with the discovery of Greece in modern times, as the "Description of Greece" is the text that has been most closely associated with the search for Greek antiquity.
Under this perspective, we did not limit our research to the "fate" of the text in the philological sense but expanded it to the broad spectrum of the reception of Pausanias in the Western education of modern times. We worked on a rich material, editions and translations of the "Description," as well as its adaptations in historiographical, geographical, and antiquarian works.
We sought the diffusion of the work in the arts and letters, as well as its absorption in literary or visual recreations, which granted it different forms and new relevance. We studied the influence of the "Description" on travel literature and iconography, as well as the functions of the illustration of the work.
In the first part of the book, we present elements about Pausanias, his journeys, the structure and content of his work, while in the last part we attempt an assessment of the "Description" by archaeologists who study today the sites that Pausanias explored and described (Athens, Sparta, Delphi, Olympia, Messene).
The readings of Pausanias in modern times constitute a collection of varied content and uneven intensity. Focused on the ancient text or diffused in general education, direct or indirect, scholarly or popularized, the readings of Pausanias are driven by various motives and approach the ancient text according to the historical perspective of their time.
The included texts are:
I. The Traveler Pausanias and his time (2nd century AD) - Giannis A. Pikoulas, "Antonines" - Panagiotis Tselekas, "Annotation (Crown) of the Antonines" - Giannis A. Pikoulas, "Roman Empire" - Giannis A. Pikoulas, "Pausanias - Biographical" - Giannis A. Pikoulas, "The Work: Dating - Structure" - Giannis A. Pikoulas, "Pausanias's Interests.
II. From Antiquity to the Renaissance - Celine Guilmet, "The Survival of the Text of Pausanias."
III. Pausanias in Modern Times (1418-1820) - Celine Guilmet, "Humanist Manuscripts of the 'Description'" - Konstantinos Sp. Staikos, "The First Edition of Pausanias: 'Description of Greece'" - Celine Guilmet, "The Printed Dissemination of the 'Description,' 16th - 17th Century" - Giorgos Toli as, "The Echo of the 'Description,' 16th - 17th Century" - Celine Guilmet, Aliki Asvestas, "Pausanias and the Archaeological Turn of the Early Enlightenment" - Alexis Malliaris, "Pausanias and the Archaeological 'Discovery' of the Peloponnese during the Years of Venetian Dominance (1685-1715)" - Celine Guilmet, "The French Translation by Nicolas Gedoyn" - Celine Guilmet, "The 'Description' and the Iconography of Greek Antiquity" - Giorgos Tolis, Aliki Asvestas, "The Dilettanti Readers of Pausanias" - Celine Guilmet, Aliki Asvestas, "Around Anacharhis, 1789-1820" - Aliki Asvestas, Celine Guilmet, "The 'Description' and the Topographers, (1800-1820)" - Giorgos Tolis, "The Greek Readings of the 'Description' and the Revival of 'Free Greece'" - Celine Guilmet, "Editions of Pausanias, 1792-1889" - Celine Guilmet, "Representations Based on Pausanias" - Celine Guilmet, "Texts and Images of Pausanias."
IV. Pausanias Today - An Assessment - Giannis A. Pikoulas, "The Journeys" - Lida Kostaki, "The Cities: a. Athens" - Eleni Kourinou, "The Cities: b. Sparta" - Xenía Arapogianni, "The Sanctuaries: a. Olympia" - Rozina Kolonia, "The Sanctuaries: b. Delphi" - Petros Themeli, "The Combination: Messina" - Giannis A. Pikoulas, "The Settlement Network."
