(Re-) Locating Greek and Roman Cities along the Northern Coast of Kolchis. Part II. Following Arrian’s Periplous from Phasis to Sebastopolis
Coşkun Altay
After the first part of this study has argued to look for ancient Dioskourias near Ochamchire Harbour based on a broad literary tradition (especially Eratosthenes, Timosthenes, Strabo, Pliny, Pomponius Mela and Claudius Ptolemy), the present second part will focus on ancient periplous literature and itineraries, most of all Arrian of Nikomedeia and the Tabula Peutingeriana. After reflecting on distances given in stades, I shall try to measure out the various sections on the way from Phasis to Sebastopolis and beyond to Herakleion. A complementary approach will try to disentangle the literary tradition from Eratosthenes to Arrian, to convey a better sense of how the transmitted numbers came about. Both approaches will support my approximate location of Phasis, Gyenos, Dioskourias, Sebastopolis, Pityous, and Herakleion, besides providing some clues of how the ancient riverscape has changed.
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