Seminar: Anchored Notions: The Caspian Sea in Hellenistic Geography

Abstract

Imperial ideology in the Hellenistic world was to surpass one’s predecessor—to push the boundaries of the known world by claiming new territories and landscapes as one’s own. While an imperial and Ptolemaic ideology existed, Eratosthenes’ geography of the Caspian Sea was not supportive of either. As a scholar of the Library of Alexandria, he had academic freedom to pursue his own interests. While his study of the Caspian Sea was influenced by imperial ideologies of Alexander, the boundaries of the oikoumene geographically were altered and competing knowledge of the Caspian Sea was ever more established as a result.

Anchored notions about Eratosthenes’ geography have long existed. This presentation argues that Eratosthenes’ geography was not political but grounded in a quest for knowledge. This presentation therefore employs an interdisciplinary approach, integrating environmental studies, such as hydro- and geo- archaeology, and GIS to examine ancient landscape. This unique perspective into Eratosthenes’ work distances him from imperial ideology and contemporary ‘imperial ideology’ literature by looking at the geographical context of his work. It demonstrates Eratosthenes’ desire to consider the inhabited world holistically, not as belonging to or property of any one empire.

Samantha Sink, PhD Candidate in Classics, Trinity College Dublin
Chair: Alessandra Grimaldi