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I.—The British Section of the Ravenna Cosmography1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2011

I. A. Richmond  and
O. G. S. Crawford
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Extract

The compilation of the Ravenna Cosmography, as we have it, belongs to the late seventh century. It was done by a cleric of Ravenna, for one Odo, whom he describes as ‘dearset brother’ and ‘friend’, and the object of the work is to furnish a list of the countries, towns, and rivers of the known world, compiled from Greek, Roman, and Gothic authors. The author, who nowhere states his name, observes that a list was chosen as the form for the work, for brevity's sake (i, 18), in preference to a map or an itinerary; and its composition was governed by the Judaic version of the division of the world, as prescribed in the tenth chapter of Genesis, in order to harmonize with contemporary Christian belief. The authorities cited are divided (i, 5) into sancti patres and huius mundi philosophi, in an attitude of humane tolerance expressed by the phrase, adiuvante Christo cum munimine philosophorum.

Type
Research Article
Information
Archaeologia , Volume 93 , 1949 , pp. 1 - 50
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1949

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References

1 The origin of this work was a paper written by the first-named writer upon the Ravenna list for Britain based upon personal study of the Vatican codex in 1922. When this paper was ready, communication with Mr. Crawford revealed that he possessed photographs of all three manuscripts. Those of the Vatican and Basle manuscripts are here reproduced, but new photographs of the Paris manuscript have been obtained from the Bibliothèque Nationale. Notes by both writers on individual names were then pooled and submitted to Professor Ifor Williams, whose valuable comments upon each name, often amounting to a wholly new contribution, have been embodied in a third section. While this paper was in the press, J. Schnetz's study of sources in Sitzungsberichte d. Bayer. Akad. d. Wissensch., 1942, Heft 6, has become available. It is interesting to find him in substantial agreement as to date and individuality of sources. His edition, in Itineraria Romana II, has been seen through his personal kindness.