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Pausanius’ Guide To Ancient Athens

Pausanius (l. 110-180 CE) was a geographer and historian who traveled extensively, taking notes on points of interest, then wrote on them in guide books which could be used by tourists visiting the sites described. His works have long been recognized for their accuracy and have served as guides for archaeologists and historians in the modern era as in antiquity.

Born in Lydia, in Asia Minor (present day Turkey) Pausanius (also given as Pausanias) traveled to Macedonia, Jerusalem, Egypt, and Rome and wrote of seeing the ruins of the city of Troy, an especially important passage for later archaeologists, most notably Heinrich Schliemann, seeking to prove Troy was more than a myth. He is best known for his ten-volume work, Description of Greece, in which he records, in great detail, his travels through the country, city by city. The work was completed between c. 15 - c. 170 CE.

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