Demetrius of Tarsus’ Exploration of the Islands in the West An Unusual Excursion of the Roman Navy in Britain

In AD 80, Iulius Agricola, governor of Roman Britain, launched an ambitious offensive against Caledonia and was soon victorious at Mons Graupius; the imperial fleet rounded Scotland and conquest was being consolidated when Emperor Domitian abruptly withdrew all Roman forces in AD 87. Meanwhile, Plut...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHistoria : Zeitschrift für alte Geschichte Vol. 71; no. 2; pp. 225 - 258
Main Author Smith, Ian Gordon
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Franz Steiner Verlag 01.06.2022
Subjects
Atlantis
Celtic Calendar
Cronus
Hebrides
HISTORIA 2022, 225
Ogygia
Plutarch
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Summary:In AD 80, Iulius Agricola, governor of Roman Britain, launched an ambitious offensive against Caledonia and was soon victorious at Mons Graupius; the imperial fleet rounded Scotland and conquest was being consolidated when Emperor Domitian abruptly withdrew all Roman forces in AD 87. Meanwhile, Plutarch tells how a certain Demetrius of Tarsus had been sent under imperial orders to survey one of the many islands lying near Britain. A seemingly fanciful traveller’s tale in another dialogue by Plutarch may also refer to the same unusual mission. This article seeks to determine the date, location and function of the remote assignment.
ISSN:0018-2311
2365-3108
DOI:10.25162/HISTORIA-2022-0008