L’ Istros d’Hérodote

Anca Dan (1)

1 Hellénismes d’Asie et civilisations orientales

The study of Herodotus’ Istros, almost neglected during the last half of century, can be approached from a double perspective: this river is the limit of the oikoumene and its mouth corresponds to the Northern extremity of the world’s axis. Also, this river is the geographic, historic and symbolic frontier of Scythia; however, its hydrographic basin, whose identification with the real streams is still problematic, represents the geohistoric and imaginative spine of the European region it crosses. By making use of literary, historical and archaeological data, I try to explain Herodotus’ view of the river, the traditions upon which the author builds his own conceptions and the coherence of the geographic and historic functions the Father of History confers to his Istros.

Domaines: Etudes classiques; Histoire

Anca Dan. L’ Istros d’Hérodote. Dacia, revue d'archéologie et d'histoire ancienne, 2011, 55, pp.25-56. ⟨hal-02435563⟩