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Pytheas: A Reappraisal Of The Written Sources Of Pytheas' Voyage To Britain And His Visit To Stonehenge, C. 325 Bc, Which He Recognised As A Temple Of The Sun-god Apollo
2023, Expression: The International Journal of Conceptual Anthropology
This case study uses archaeological and anthropological knowledge to check details dating from the time of the visit to southern England of Pytheas of Massalia who sailed to Britain in the fourth-century BC, as recorded in his travelogue Peri tou Okeanou. All copies of his book are lost, but some 40 fragments survive in the writings of 17 classical historians. Hecataeus of Abdera had read Pytheas' volume and written about it, including a description of what Pytheas had called a Temple of Apollo with a 'magnificent temenos'. Fortunately, before that book got lost too, Diodorus Siculus (of the first century BC) read Hecataeus' account. Greeklanguage reanalysis of Diodorus' summary justifies the argument that Stonehenge was the monument in question, and that it was still in use. Some commentators preferred to overlook Stonehenge possibilities or deny them because of treating the text as if it meant there were two fine temples in proximity which is unlikely. The problem arose from confusing the meanings of temenos and naos which in the context of this case-study respectively refer to the precinct-with-temple and the presence of an inner sanctuary or naos that holds and safeguards the cult images. In fact, Stonehenge does have a splendid carved-stone phallus that stood 2.5 m high in the central zone, hitherto unrecognised because it has been knocked over and is awkward to view, but has been recently identified and photographed by the author.
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