Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World

Some have pointed out that there are mistakes here. What detailed historical work, or in-depth atlas the size and scope of anything even somewhat close to this one, have you read or studied that had no mistakes, that was, in essence, perfect?The sheer magnitude of time frame covered, of geographic scale, and of research required of an era so long past is unprecedented. Exquisitely fine depictions of terrain, varying altitude levels minutely detailed by color and contour lines, major and minor road networks, cities and a multitude of towns, villages, seaports, and islands. Physical features include, but are not limited to, the following: shoreline reefs, streams, cataracts and rapids, cliffs, sand and gravel areas, swamps and bogs, oases, wells, baths and spas, forts and towers, lighthouses, and even estates and villas. And all of this done in the most pleasing possible complement of color and finely shaded color gradation. The geographical sweep includes all the ancient Mediterranean and much of continental Europe, as well as the British Isles, with individual pages honing in very specifically on the multiplicity of local regions that comprise this great geography of ancient Greece and Rome.Whether you are an expert on the ancient world or just an armchair historian like I am, you will be able to immediately appreciate the beauty and grandeur of such a supreme cartographic achievement.

Great work. Most of the maps has a scale of 1:1mIt would be better if more detailed contour lines and more settlement information is included

I am fascinated with the Roman limes and intend to engage in study and on-site exploration of them in my golden years. The Barrington Atlas .satisfies my need for topographical and geographic detail as I study and plot out my expeditions. I expect to acquire also the e-book version for when I do travel, but this tremendous tome is indispensable for armchair travel and perfect for study and research. It is well worth the investment.

It was exactly what I wanted.

The amount of detail in this massive atlas is simply astounding.Just the thing for the serious researcher of the ancient Greek and Roman world.And...a handsome addition to any cocktail table (just make sure it's a big table, because this is one BIG atlas!)

Finally, after years in the making, this atlas is finished and I'm glad to have it.This is a great work, all the detailed knowledge about location of cities, shrines, roads, etc, etc., etc., that has been gathered about Roman and Greek sites has been put together in just one atlas. Even individual estates are placed on maps, when convenient.Seamlessly, from one map to another you can trace any route, find any name, and look into the neighboring area.The map by map directory provides further insight into the sources of information, variant ancient names and modern place names (if any),Obviously there's no such a thing as a telescope/microscope. You have to know what you are looking for, because details can sometimes shield the big picture. You need to know the original spelling of a name, or some variant. This book is invaluable when looking for names and places that are nowhere else printed in a map, at least a map that covers an area that places them in context.Now, what else could be useful?Basically, I would have liked three things:- an 'inverse' gazetteer or 'name dictionary'. Look for modern place names and find ancient equivalents.To look for a modern name is difficult. The book is not intended for this. You have to use the search engine in Acrobat, which means that you have to be using a computer. And scroll though the results. There is no straightforward way. So, a 'Modern Names Gazetteer' with ancient equivalents is something I'd like to have. Could a database fulfill this purpose? PDF formats do not allow data management, but the editor must have the data. Someone will provide this.- a different altitude color-coded scaleAs for the altitude color-coded tints, to my taste, there is at least a brown shade too many. The tinted scale is such, that some maps look a little brownish, because everything above 1000 feet has that background color. Of course, there are contour lines, but you have to look at them and read the numbers. Coding is not very useful in such a situation. Printed names over brown background are not easily readable.- a heavy paper o plastic loose-leaf with the Map KeyThe Map Key appears only on map 1, on the reverse side of the page, a good idea since the maps are not clogged with repetitive information and space is used for the essential purpose. But then you have to return to it for a reference. Thence, either it will wear out or hopefully you will remember usual references. Not for the casual reader. I've already photocopied it.Overall, an outstanding achievement. Four stars, could have been five if some of the above items had been included.

I bought this as a gift for my son who is a classics professor. He loves it. He uses it in his classroom. It is very comprehensive.

There has never been an atlas of the ancient world to compare with this incredible piece of scholarship and mapmaking. At a cost of about five million dollars and over a decade in development, it contains highly detailed professional maps equivalent to the best atlases of our modern world. It goes beyond the Mediterranean world to include europe as far as Britain and the east as far India. The last atlas of this time period I purchased had a few dozen imprecise and limited small maps. There are 99 full-color large-scale maps in this volume. I haven't been this excited about a reference book for several years.

Un atlante del mondo antico di eccellente e pregevole fattura, estremamente dettagliato. Sono molto contento dell'acquisto, per quanto il costo sia stato piuttosto elevato. Ogni biblioteca e università dovrebbe averne una copia.

Ouvrage arrivé dans les délais, en bon état. L'atlas de référence pour l'Antiquité grecque et latine. Dommage toutefois qu'il n'y ait pas de cartes politiques.

The Barrington Atlas is a joy to have; it was a considered purchase at the outset of a long programme of study. As with any book costing upwards of £200, I spent some time researching the purchase and was fortunate to manage a lengthy browse through a copy in a reference library.Be careful with an online acquisition that you are bidding for the actual Atlas, some listings are for hard copies of the Directory volumes which accompany the Atlas. Some quoted prices for the Atlas include a version of the Directories on CD. I wasn't certain until mine arrived whether it would include the CD or not - it didn't.To make a criticism, I would have liked to have found detailed city plans included of, for instance, Rome and Athens in classical times. The blurb tries to explain why these are omitted, but a pity the decision went the way it did in my view.Very nice to look at such detailed and well-researched maps of UK in Roman times, and to find that minor ancient roads known locally have been included, albeit that at least one Roman fort or habitation close to where I live is not marked.If you are trying to get the most from a work of classical history, like Herodotus or Thucydides, it adds greatly to appreciation of the narrative to have this wonderful Atlas close to hand.

PROS: comprehensiveCONS: $; place names require translation to Greek

This book is immense in more than one respect. Physically it is pretty imposing - at least the size of the Times Atlas. But it is even more so in terms of the scholarship which has gone into its production. If you ever wanted to trace the journeys described in Greek and Roman writers (to follow Hannibal across the Alps and scampering about Italy, or to join Caesar's legions) this is your book. It is an atlas produced to the highest standards and by reference to an exhustive consideration of the classical sources to locate places which no longer exist. If you are not happy simply to take the scholarship on trust, it comes with a CD Rom which describes place by place, the sources involved in the idetification of that location. Yes it is a bit pricey - but it is a masterpiece of scholarship and a complete classic - plus think of all the work you are getting for that price!