Canal-U

What words can tell. Pseudo-Skylax's mentions of "closed harbours" through archaeological and historical evidence

Ancient written sources have transmitted a rich body of phrases and words that refer to the maritime context. However, the actual understanding of ancient nautical jargon is far from exhaustive, due to numerous problems connected with its analysis. Traditionally, attempts to interpret nautical-related terms have adopted a strictly philological or archaeological approach and they have been focused on broadly-defined periods. In contrast, this contribute will seek to combine the study of ancient texts with other kinds of evidence (mainly archaeological and historical) for raising new research questions. In particular, we will use the Periplus of Pseudo-Skylax (a controversial text imbued with nautical knowledge) to revisit the earliest cases of λιμένες κλειστοί ("closed harbours"). Indeed, even if in modern scholarship the phrase λιμὴν κλειστός has come under much discussion, there is no agreement on its meaning. With this contribution, we will try to establish whether previous interpretations can still be considered valid or if a redefinition is needed.

Session 1 Fonction et terminologie - Modérateur : Emmanuel Nantet (Université de Haifa).