Pausanias
A Writer for Pilgrims?
Introduction Pausanias was a Greek who systematically travelled through Roman Greece from 160-180 A.D.. During his travels he wrote books in which he described the places he visited quite elaborately. Together these descriptions form Pausanias’s famous work the ‘Periegesis Hellados’, which can be translated to ‘Description of Greece’. For long this work has just been seen as a book containing a lot of funny facts, but in recent times it turned out that Pausanias was actually a very interesting and unique person. Ian Rutherford, professor in Greek and specialist on pilgrimage, stated that Pausanias could also be seen as a pilgrim. Knowing this, it would be interesting to look at Pausanias as someone who was part of a network of pilgrims and who perhaps wrote a guide for other pilgrims who wanted to go on pilgrimage themselves or who couldn’t travel themselves and therefore wanted to read about it. In this context I applied social network analysis to Pausanias and his ‘Periegesis’ to answer the question why Pausanias could be seen as a network agent for a network of pilgrims. A network agent is someone who helps in making the network function properly. In answering this question I hoped to get a different perspective on Pausanias and the period in which he lived in order to improve our understanding of this period. |
Travel writing. https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2015/10/30/14/27/book-1014197_960_720.jpg
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Social Network Analysis
Network theory is about studying complex systems that interact with each other. Social network theory is the part of this theory that studies the influence of social structures on the behaviour and convictions of individuals, groups and organisations. A network originates when different dots get connected through interaction. In social network theory these dots are called ‘nodes’ and the connections are called ‘ties’. Nodes can present al kinds of things like peope, cities or organisations. What is exchanged through the ties is called a ‘flow’ and a flow can also present al kinds of things like trade, knowledge or beliefs.
There are three main sorts of networks within social network theory: the centralized, the decentralized and the distributed networks. The centralized network is a network in which most nodes are clearly connected to each other by a central node. The decentralized network is a network in which multiple smaller and bigger networks are connected to each other, but in which no real central node is to be found. The distributed network finally is a network in which all nodes are equally connected. With regard to Pausanias, the Periegesis and a possible network of pilgrims, we can speak of a decentralized network.
Within a decentralized network not all nodes are equally connected and therefore some nodes are more important to the network than others. If there’s a node that solely connects different networks with each other, we speak of a weak tie. This is because the network would collapse when this node would fall out. Some nodes also have specific funtions in a network and are therefore important to the network. One of these, that was important to this research, is the network agent. As mentioned before such an agent is a network specialist that improves the functionality of the network by for example making or keeping the network accessible to other nodes.
With the social network analysis I will look at how Pausanias could be seen as such a network agent.
Network theory is about studying complex systems that interact with each other. Social network theory is the part of this theory that studies the influence of social structures on the behaviour and convictions of individuals, groups and organisations. A network originates when different dots get connected through interaction. In social network theory these dots are called ‘nodes’ and the connections are called ‘ties’. Nodes can present al kinds of things like peope, cities or organisations. What is exchanged through the ties is called a ‘flow’ and a flow can also present al kinds of things like trade, knowledge or beliefs.
There are three main sorts of networks within social network theory: the centralized, the decentralized and the distributed networks. The centralized network is a network in which most nodes are clearly connected to each other by a central node. The decentralized network is a network in which multiple smaller and bigger networks are connected to each other, but in which no real central node is to be found. The distributed network finally is a network in which all nodes are equally connected. With regard to Pausanias, the Periegesis and a possible network of pilgrims, we can speak of a decentralized network.
Within a decentralized network not all nodes are equally connected and therefore some nodes are more important to the network than others. If there’s a node that solely connects different networks with each other, we speak of a weak tie. This is because the network would collapse when this node would fall out. Some nodes also have specific funtions in a network and are therefore important to the network. One of these, that was important to this research, is the network agent. As mentioned before such an agent is a network specialist that improves the functionality of the network by for example making or keeping the network accessible to other nodes.
With the social network analysis I will look at how Pausanias could be seen as such a network agent.
Version of the Periegesis in Latin. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Tauchnitz_Pausanias_1829.jpg
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Primary Source: Periegesis Hellados
As mentioned before Pausanias with his ‘Periegesis’ was the main subject of this research. Pausanias was born somewhere between 110 and 120 A.D., in a wealthy family living probably in Magnesia ad Sipylum. Pausanias therefore lived in the ‘second sophistic period’ during the reign of Hadrian. This period was characterized by it’s great appreciation of everything that was Greek, especially by the elite. Therefore it was very popular for the elite to travel like some sort of educated tourists and visit cultural important places to investigate them. Pausanias travelled likewise, but what made him special was that he also quite extensively wrote about his travels. These writings together form the Periegesis, probably written between 160 and 180 A.D., which consists of ten parts, each part describing a different area of what we today know as Greece. The descriptions consist of the appearance of surroundings, cities and buildings, of the history and myths concerning the places and of the traditions, customs and activities that were common in those places. As such the Periegesis is often seen as a sort of travel guide to ancient Greece, written so his readers could ‘show off’ with their knowledge about Greek culture and history. However it is notable that Pausanias visited areas that were not unfamiliar to him as a Greek, this was odd because it was customary for these ‘tourists’ to visit new exciting places. Another striking aspect about Pausanias is that he seemed to be particularly interested in visiting and describing religious places. Therefore it could be said that Pausanias’s journey was not only an educated one, but also a spiritual one and that also the writing of the Periegesis might have been religiously motivated. |
Results
In the analysis, parts of the Periegesis were analyzed on how Pausanias could be seen as a network agent for a network of pilgrims. It turned out that this could be seen in his method of working. In this it was notable that Pausanias seemed to prefer writing about religious subjects and that he related these subjects to a larger religious framework. Also striking was that he provided his readers with a lot of practical information that could help them to go on pilgrimage themselves or that enabled them to create a clear picture of the journey when they weren't able to travel themselves..
Besides this, the analysis showed that Pausanias wasn’t only interested in the gathering and transferring of information. No, he also visited specific places to experience them. Furthermore Pausanias sometimes specifically chose to write in such a fashion that his readers could experience the journey as though they were traveling themselves.
Finally the analysis showed how Pausanias encouraged his readers to visit the described places themselves by emphasizing the holiness of these places. Besides this, Pausanias tells about his own spiritual development, gained through his travels, and enabled his readers to experience this development themselves by reading the Periegesis. These are the ways in which Pausanias could have helped a network of pilgrims to function properly and therefore these are the ways in which Pausanias could be seen as a network agent.
- J.S. Hoekstra
In the analysis, parts of the Periegesis were analyzed on how Pausanias could be seen as a network agent for a network of pilgrims. It turned out that this could be seen in his method of working. In this it was notable that Pausanias seemed to prefer writing about religious subjects and that he related these subjects to a larger religious framework. Also striking was that he provided his readers with a lot of practical information that could help them to go on pilgrimage themselves or that enabled them to create a clear picture of the journey when they weren't able to travel themselves..
Besides this, the analysis showed that Pausanias wasn’t only interested in the gathering and transferring of information. No, he also visited specific places to experience them. Furthermore Pausanias sometimes specifically chose to write in such a fashion that his readers could experience the journey as though they were traveling themselves.
Finally the analysis showed how Pausanias encouraged his readers to visit the described places themselves by emphasizing the holiness of these places. Besides this, Pausanias tells about his own spiritual development, gained through his travels, and enabled his readers to experience this development themselves by reading the Periegesis. These are the ways in which Pausanias could have helped a network of pilgrims to function properly and therefore these are the ways in which Pausanias could be seen as a network agent.
- J.S. Hoekstra
Further Reading
Alcock, S.E., Cherry, J.F. en Elsner, J. Pausanias: Travel and Memory in Roman Greece, (Oxford: Oxford University Press 2001).
Dillon, M. Pilgrims and Pilgrimage in Ancient Greece, (London etc.: Routledge, 1997).
Elsner, J. "Pausanias: A Greek Pilgrim in the Roman World." Past & Present 135 (1992): 3-29.
Elsner, J. and Rutherford, I.C. Pilgrimage in Graeco-Roman & Early Christian Antiquity : Seeing the Gods.(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005).
Georgopoulou, M., Guilmet, C., Pikoulas, Y.A., Staikos, K.Sp. en Tolias, G. Following Pausanias: The Quest for Greek Antiquity, (Oak Knoll Press Kotinos 2007).
Malkin, I. A small Greek world. Networks in the Ancient Mediterranean, (Oxford: Oxford University Press 2011).
Malkin, I., Constantakopoulou, C. en Panagopoulou, K. “Preface: Networks in the Ancient Mediterranean.” Mediterranean Historical Review 22.1 (2007): 1-9.
Pretzler, M. Pausanias: Travel Writing in Ancient Greece, (Duckworth 2007).
Rutherford. I.C. "Pilgrims and Pilgrimage." The Classical Review 50.1 (2000): 122-124.
Sidebottom, H. "Pausanias: Past, Present, and Closure." CLASSICAL QUARTERLY 52 (2002): 494-499.
Alcock, S.E., Cherry, J.F. en Elsner, J. Pausanias: Travel and Memory in Roman Greece, (Oxford: Oxford University Press 2001).
Dillon, M. Pilgrims and Pilgrimage in Ancient Greece, (London etc.: Routledge, 1997).
Elsner, J. "Pausanias: A Greek Pilgrim in the Roman World." Past & Present 135 (1992): 3-29.
Elsner, J. and Rutherford, I.C. Pilgrimage in Graeco-Roman & Early Christian Antiquity : Seeing the Gods.(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005).
Georgopoulou, M., Guilmet, C., Pikoulas, Y.A., Staikos, K.Sp. en Tolias, G. Following Pausanias: The Quest for Greek Antiquity, (Oak Knoll Press Kotinos 2007).
Malkin, I. A small Greek world. Networks in the Ancient Mediterranean, (Oxford: Oxford University Press 2011).
Malkin, I., Constantakopoulou, C. en Panagopoulou, K. “Preface: Networks in the Ancient Mediterranean.” Mediterranean Historical Review 22.1 (2007): 1-9.
Pretzler, M. Pausanias: Travel Writing in Ancient Greece, (Duckworth 2007).
Rutherford. I.C. "Pilgrims and Pilgrimage." The Classical Review 50.1 (2000): 122-124.
Sidebottom, H. "Pausanias: Past, Present, and Closure." CLASSICAL QUARTERLY 52 (2002): 494-499.