Pausanias – Travels in Greece

Pausanias' Travels in Greece (Hellados Periegesis) is one of the most remarkable travel books of the ancient world. Written in the 2nd century AD, it is an extraordinary journey through Greece, recording its cities, sanctuaries, monuments, landscapes, works of art, local traditions, and myths at a time when much of the ancient world was still standing.

The Travels in Greece is an invaluable source for the history, archaeology, mythology, religion, and geography of Ancient Greece. As Pausanias travels from region to region, he combines careful observation with stories of gods, heroes, historical events, and local customs, preserving countless details that would otherwise have been lost.

His work remains indispensable to historians and archaeologists, many of whom have used his descriptions to identify and interpret ancient sites. For modern readers, it offers a unique opportunity to explore Greece through the eyes of an ancient traveler, discovering not only its monuments but also the stories, beliefs, and memories that gave them meaning.

The ten books cover the major regions of Greece:

• Book I – Attica – Athens, the Acropolis, and the monuments of Attica.
• Book II – Corinthia – Corinth, Argolis, and the great sanctuaries of the Peloponnese.
• Book III – Laconia – Sparta, its history, traditions, and monuments.
• Book IV – Messenia – The land, history, and identity of ancient Messenia.
• Book V – Elis I – Olympia and the origins of the Olympic Games.
• Book VI – Elis II – The temples, victors, and monuments of Olympia.
• Book VII – Achaea – Cities, sanctuaries, and myths of northern Peloponnese.
• Book VIII – Arcadia – The mountainous heart of Greece, rich in mythology and cults.
• Book IX – Boeotia – Thebes, Plataea, and the legendary landscapes of central Greece.
• Book X – Phocis – Delphi, Mount Parnassus, and the sanctuary of Apollo.

About This Edition

This complete edition of Pausanias' Travels in Greece is published in ten volumes, preserving one of the most important historical and geographical works of antiquity.

Each volume includes:

• The original Ancient Greek text
• A Modern Greek translation on facing pages
• A scholarly introduction
• Detailed commentary and explanatory notes

Ideal for historians, archaeologists, classicists, travelers, and anyone fascinated by Ancient Greece, this edition combines the authenticity of the original text with the guidance needed to appreciate one of antiquity's greatest cultural journeys.

About Pausanias

Pausanias was a Greek traveller and geographer who lived during the 2nd century AD, under Roman rule. Although little is known about his life, his extensive travels through Greece resulted in one of antiquity's most valuable historical works.

Unlike many ancient authors who relied on earlier sources, Pausanias recorded what he personally saw, describing temples, statues, inscriptions, sanctuaries, landscapes, and works of art while preserving the myths and local traditions associated with them. His careful observations have made the Description of Greece an indispensable source for archaeology, ancient history, classical studies, and the study of Greek religion.

Today, Pausanias remains one of our most important guides to the ancient Greek world, offering readers a rare opportunity to experience Greece as it appeared nearly two thousand years ago.