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University of California Press

About the Book

A Greek who lived in Asia Minor during the second century A.D., Pausanias traveled through Greece and wrote an invaluable description of its classical sites that is a treasure trove of information on archaeology, religion, history, and art. Although ignored during his own time, Pausanias is increasingly important in ours—to historians, tourists, and archaeologists. Christian Habicht offers a wide-ranging study of Pausanias' work and personality. He investigates his background, chronology, and methods, and also discusses Pausanias' value as a guide for modern scholars and travellers, his attitude toward the Roman world he lived in, and his reception among critics in modern times. A new preface summarizes the most recent scholarship.


A Greek who lived in Asia Minor during the second century A.D., Pausanias traveled through Greece and wrote an invaluable description of its classical sites that is a treasure trove of information on archaeology, religion, history, and art. Although ignor

About the Author

Christian Habicht is Professor at the School of Historical Studies, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. He is the author of Athens from Alexander to Antony (1997) and Cicero the Politician (1990).

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations 
Preface to the 1985 Edition 
Preface to the 1998 Paperback Edition 
List of Abbreviations 

I The Man and His Work 
II Pausanias as a Guide 
III Pausanias and the Evidence of Inscriptions 
IV Pausanias on the History of Greece 
V The Roman World of Pausanias 
VI A Profile of Pausanias 

Appendix I  
Appendix 2 
Bibliography 
Index of Passages Cited 
General Index 
Index of Significant Greek Words