Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Preface Introduction 1 Istanbul 2 Bithynia and the Troad 3 Ionia and Lydia 4 Central Anatolia 5 Lycia and the Turkish Riviera 6 Armenia, Pontus and the Trebizond 7 Cilicia and The Syrian Marches Bibliography Index

Promotional Information

Turkey lies at the crossroads of history. For millennia, Anatolia has been crossed and re-crossed by waves of conquering civilizations - Hittites, Persians, Romans and Ottomans - who have created a country as varied as it is possible to find in the world. With a climate and landscape as diverse as its past, Turkey has provided an alluring and yet sometimes challenging destination for westerners throughout the ages. This, and the hospitality of its people has ensured that countless visitors, from classical times to the present, have fallen under the spell of Turkey. Across the Hellespont describes in lively detail the remarkable literature which Turkey has inspired for two thousand years. At a time when Turkey’s position on the fringe may be set to change to a deeper involvement in Europe, the need for Europeans to understand the country is even more compelling. The range of travel writing represented in this book shows how, while political circumstances may change, the lure of Turkey remains constant.

About the Author

Richard Stoneman is a classicist, editor and lecturer. An Honorary Fellow of Exeter University, he is the author of numerous books and guides including Daphne into Laurel, A Literary Companion to Travel In Greece, The Greek Alexander Romance and Alexander the Great: a Life in Legend. He was President of the Classical Association in 2009/10.