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TLG search reveals that there is no island called Baltia in Xenophon, nor in the rest of the ancient Greek literature. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 213.164.109.214 ( talk • contribs).
It is true that it's not easy to confirm this piece of information ( Xenophon mentioning a Baltea island). However, it seems that Pliny mentioned an island named Baltea in the Baltic Sea. The following fragment from " Historical sketch of the progress of discovery, navigation, and commerce, from the earliest records to the beginning of the nineteenth century" by William Stevenson (1824) (the author is probably none of the persons listed on William Stevenson page unless he is the father of Elizabeth Gaskell) says:
The geography given by Stevenson seems sound. The "Frish or Curish Sea" is the Curonian Lagoon in present day Lithuania. Lithuania is one of the few places in Europe where population has not changed from the ancient times making it possible that a tribal/territotial name could be still be recogniable in the 14th century. The "Teutones" (a name used sometimes in reference to all of the Germanic peoples, not only the actual Teutons) would in this case most probably be the Goths living at the time in nearby Gothiscandza, a territory streaching from the shores of present day Bay of Gdansk along Vistula and Bug (a river tract which comprises of both Western Bug and Southern Bug) rivers in the South-Eastern direction. So it is possible that it is not Xenophon but Pliny (rather Pliny the Elder than Pliny the Younger?) who mentions the island and that the name is Baltea, not Baltia (though the difference may come simply from different phonetics of Latin and Ancient Greek) languages. Friendly Neighbour 14:41, 19 May 2006 (UTC)
The island is mentioned in " The Natural History" by Pliny the Elder (Book IV, chapter 27). The English translation of the fragment is:
Therefore it's true that Xenophon mentioned a Baltia but we know this from Pliny. The preffred link to his " The Natural History" in English is this and the origial Latin text is here. My only source used in this research was Google :-) Friendly Neighbour 16:28, 19 May 2006 (UTC)
In Book 37, Chapter 11 of " The Natural History" Pliny adds the following:
So this is the source of the amber story Stevenson wrote about. The vast amounts of Amber make it impossible that this is southern Scandinavia or Helgoland as some suggested (which could be an amber trading place but the North Sea does not contain any big sources of amber). Friendly Neighbour 17:07, 19 May 2006 (UTC)
It seems
Pliny the Elder calls the island alternatively Baltia, Basilia and Abalus. So part of the story may be errors in copying :-(
Friendly Neighbour
17:25, 19 May 2006 (UTC)
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TLG search reveals that there is no island called Baltia in Xenophon, nor in the rest of the ancient Greek literature. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 213.164.109.214 ( talk • contribs).
It is true that it's not easy to confirm this piece of information ( Xenophon mentioning a Baltea island). However, it seems that Pliny mentioned an island named Baltea in the Baltic Sea. The following fragment from " Historical sketch of the progress of discovery, navigation, and commerce, from the earliest records to the beginning of the nineteenth century" by William Stevenson (1824) (the author is probably none of the persons listed on William Stevenson page unless he is the father of Elizabeth Gaskell) says:
The geography given by Stevenson seems sound. The "Frish or Curish Sea" is the Curonian Lagoon in present day Lithuania. Lithuania is one of the few places in Europe where population has not changed from the ancient times making it possible that a tribal/territotial name could be still be recogniable in the 14th century. The "Teutones" (a name used sometimes in reference to all of the Germanic peoples, not only the actual Teutons) would in this case most probably be the Goths living at the time in nearby Gothiscandza, a territory streaching from the shores of present day Bay of Gdansk along Vistula and Bug (a river tract which comprises of both Western Bug and Southern Bug) rivers in the South-Eastern direction. So it is possible that it is not Xenophon but Pliny (rather Pliny the Elder than Pliny the Younger?) who mentions the island and that the name is Baltea, not Baltia (though the difference may come simply from different phonetics of Latin and Ancient Greek) languages. Friendly Neighbour 14:41, 19 May 2006 (UTC)
The island is mentioned in " The Natural History" by Pliny the Elder (Book IV, chapter 27). The English translation of the fragment is:
Therefore it's true that Xenophon mentioned a Baltia but we know this from Pliny. The preffred link to his " The Natural History" in English is this and the origial Latin text is here. My only source used in this research was Google :-) Friendly Neighbour 16:28, 19 May 2006 (UTC)
In Book 37, Chapter 11 of " The Natural History" Pliny adds the following:
So this is the source of the amber story Stevenson wrote about. The vast amounts of Amber make it impossible that this is southern Scandinavia or Helgoland as some suggested (which could be an amber trading place but the North Sea does not contain any big sources of amber). Friendly Neighbour 17:07, 19 May 2006 (UTC)
It seems
Pliny the Elder calls the island alternatively Baltia, Basilia and Abalus. So part of the story may be errors in copying :-(
Friendly Neighbour
17:25, 19 May 2006 (UTC)