T.E. Lawrence (i.e. Lawrence of Arabia) once commented that “the printing press is the greatest weapon in the armory of the modern commander.” This was as true in the 15th century, following the introduction of the printing press to Western Europe, as it would be during the Arab Revolt of 1916. During the Renaissance, the impact ofContinue reading “Reforming the Map: Saint Paul, Sea Monsters, and Biblical Maps”
Tag Archives: cartography
Mapping the Underworld: Space, Text, and Imaginary Landscapes in Antiquity
One of the foremost painters of the mid 5th century BCE, Polygnotus, was allegedly commissioned by the Cnidian people to paint a clubhouse at Delphi. One of the themes was Odysseus’ ascension into the underworld, described in Book 11 of Homer’s Odyssey (the so called νέκυια). However, Pausanias (10.28-31) reports that the painter took many liberties and mixedContinue reading “Mapping the Underworld: Space, Text, and Imaginary Landscapes in Antiquity”
