<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>One of the most mysterious concepts in ancient geography are the Riphaean Mountains that had for centuries been the object of mythological, cosmological, geographic, cartographic, and poetic discourses. Having originated as a designation of the northern (in relation to Greece) Thracian mountain, the name in the course of time became attached to the mountains located in the extreme north of the oecumene. Cosmological ideas explaining the rising of the earth’s surface to the north, the passage of the sun after sunset through the northern outskirts of the oecumene behind the Riphaean Mountains eastward, and many others were associated with these mountains. In ancient literature the Riphaean Mountains are often associated with a blessed people of the Hyperboreans who seemed to live beyond the Riphaean Mountains in a particularly favorable climate. In this paper the attempts of ancient cartographers to locate the Riphaean Mountains on a geographical map will be considered.</p></abstract>

One of the most mysterious concepts in ancient geography are the Riphaean Mountains that had for centuries been the object of mythological, cosmological, geographic, cartographic, and poetic discourses. Having originated as a designation of the northern (in relation to Greece) Thracian mountain, the name in the course of time became attached to the mountains located in the extreme north of the oecumene. Cosmological ideas explaining the rising of the earth’s surface to the north, the passage of the sun after sunset through the northern outskirts of the oecumene behind the Riphaean Mountains eastward, and many others were associated with these mountains. In ancient literature the Riphaean Mountains are often associated with a blessed people of the Hyperboreans who seemed to live beyond the Riphaean Mountains in a particularly favorable climate. In this paper the attempts of ancient cartographers to locate the Riphaean Mountains on a geographical map will be considered.

A concept “Riphaean Mountains” in ancient geocartography: myth, cosmology, symbol and/or reality?

Miscellanea Geographica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

One of the most mysterious concepts in ancient geography are the Riphaean Mountains that had for centuries been the object of mythological, cosmological,...

A concept “Riphaean Mountains” in ancient geocartography: myth, cosmology, symbol and/or reality?

Published Online: Jul 31, 2019

Page range: 194 - 198

Received: Jan 12, 2019

Accepted: Apr 17, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgrsd-2019-0018

Keywords
Riphaean Mountains, ancient cartography, ancient geography

© 2019 Alexander Podossinov, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A concept “Riphaean Mountains” in ancient geocartography: myth, cosmology, symbol and/or reality?

Published Online: Jul 31, 2019

Page range: 194 - 198

Received: Jan 12, 2019

Accepted: Apr 17, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgrsd-2019-0018

KeywordsRiphaean Mountains, ancient cartography, ancient geography

© 2019 Alexander Podossinov, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Riphaean Mountains, ancient cartography, ancient geography