| Summary |
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the desert exploration tradition of the Greeks and Romans. The primary objective of the study is to demonstrate the division between their respective exploration models, and more importantly to prove that they approached exploration in a manner reflective of their culture. This study will use four case studies to examine the problems of desert exploration in the classical world. The Greek case studies will cover Alexander the Great on his famous visit to the Siwah oasis and his crossing of the Gedrosian (modern Makran range) Desert. The Roman chapters will cover the imperial tradition in Arabia and the Sahara. Scholars have approached all of these topics on an individual basis, but no collective study of the various desert traditions has been attempted. While much has been made of the pothos that drove the Alexander desert tradition, it is essential to place it against the Roman imperial tradition to better understand the inner workings of each model. Within each case study, a number of other problems will be approached. In discussing Alexander's marches, it is imperative to discuss his relation to the world of Greek myth and the importance of that relation to his biographers in the classical world. In addition, the question of his return via the Qattara Depression in Egypt must be handled, as well as the validity of Ptolemy's reportage in determining that route. Alexander's march across Gedrosia has received much discussion for its apparent foolhardiness. This study will emphasize Alexander's pothos in taking the route, as well as discuss in detail his plans to lead a combined sea and land contingent across the little known coastline of Gedrosia. More importantly, emphasis will be placed on the probability that the well known flood that took place in Gedrosia played a large part in his supply problems later in the sixty day march. Ultimately, the Alexander section will prove that even what modern historians have termed a disaster (Gedrosia crossing) was not so in the eyes of Alexander or any of his more judicious biographers. The Roman tradition in Arabia is characterized by the interests of both a Roman author inextricably linked to the lone desert expedition into the interior and by the local peoples who sought to keep Roman arms out of the peninsula. This case study will argue the likelihood that modern historians have wrongly assumed a pro-Arabian bias based on an unlikely connection between Strabo and the commander of the expedition in 24 B.C. By far the most extensive, and most illustrative, story of Roman exploration belongs to the imperial experience in the Sahara. More important than the multiple marches into the desert is the fact that they ceased expansion immediately after their symbolic conquest of the region through exploration. In assessing these case studies, it can be determined that the Greeks and Romans viewed their frontiers in a very different light. For the Greeks, the desert was a frontier meant to be traveled beyond. For the Romans, they offered static boundaries to be reached merely to claim them. |
