Periplus: Mapping the Future

Periplus: Mapping the Future

Periplus Atlas	The Periplus Atlas is under development using ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online, enabling multiple users to contribute collaboratively. A streamlined version has been shared as a webmap through the portal of ArchaeoCosmos of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. During the planning phase, we decided to incorporate the dataset from the Pleiades project in order to align our data as closely as possbile. Over the past five years (2019-2024), we have substantially improved the original dataset by adding new features, repositioning existing ones, eliminating duplicates and correcting errors, and importantly, by introducing thousands of new place names. Our initial focus was on incorporating ancient Greek names in polytonic Greek, endeavoring to include as many name variations and alternatives as possible. Consequently, the dataset is now searchable through Greek, Latin, or modern names. We have also made two significant enhancements: 1) rivers are illustrated as polylines rather than mere points, and 2) regions and islands are represented as polygons; they were drawn from scratch, a task that required considerable effort and time investment. Our goal was not to demarcate exact borders —an elusive task— but to position the labels as accurately as possible. The dataset also includes links to corresponding Pleiades entries and Wikidata. The Periplus Atlas stands out as one of the most complete and detailed interactive digital maps of the ancient world. Nevertheless, it must be pointed out that the map is still not in its final form.
Periplus Logos	The Periplus Logos project builds upon the foundation laid by the Periplus Atlas, with the ultimate goal to compile a comprehensive gazetteer of geographic terms found in ancient Greek and Latin literature up until the end of Late Antiquity. Its mission extends to the publication of these texts, offering them both in their original form and in translations into English (and eventually modern Greek), accompanied by an interactive web map and hyperlinked geographic terms within each passage. This approach allows readers to visually explore the mentioned locations directly on the web map while engaging with the texts, whether in the original language or translation. Significantly, this feature enables readers to not only pinpoint individual places but also visualize all locations mentioned in a text, thereby providing a holistic understanding of the geographic context. This integrated experience is designed to enrich the reader's comprehension and appreciation of ancient literary landscapes.
Periplus App	The Periplus App allows users to interactively engage with ancient texts. Users can add geo-tags to the texts and easily pinpoint locations on the Periplus Atlas. Moreover, the App facilitates the automatic generation of HTML pages. These pages feature dynamic and navigable hyperlinks embedded within the ancient texts and their modern translations. Together, these modules are designed to enhance our understanding of ancient geography, making it more accessible and interactive for scholars, students and the public to explore the ancient world.
The Team	Project coordinator: Prof. Konstantinos Kopanias, Department of History and Archaeology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) The Periplus project operates under the auspices of the Research Center for Digital Humanities at the University Center for Research and Innovation (directed by Prof. Dimitris Plantzos) of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Group supervisors: Barlagianni P. (2019-2022), Doulfis G. (2019-2022), Gerochristou A. (2019-2022), Ladas A. (2019-2022), Mavros Str. (2019-2022), Papageorgiou D. (2019-2022), Sidiropoulou K. (2019-2022),Vemou E. (2019-2022) Student participants (122 in total): Agelouli E. (2019-2020), Andreadakis E. (2019-2020), Androulidakis A. (2020-2021), Argyropoulou-Theodoropoulou A. (2019-2020), Armakola-Charilaou D. (2020-2021), Athanasiadis G. (2019-2021),Bairaktaris I. (2020), Charoura I. (2020-2021), Chatzaki E. (2019-2020), Chatzinikolaou A. (2019-2020), Danielidou M. (2019-2020), Delimpoi A.-M. (2019-2020), Desikou A. (2019-2020), Diamanti I. (2019-2020), Didaskalou D. (2019-2020), Dimitriou A. (2020), Dimitrokalli M. (2020-2021), Doani G.-E. (2019-2020), Eleutheriadi K. (2020-2021), Famprikatzi K. (2020-2021), Gavriel D. (2020), Georgiopoulou V. (2019-2021), Giannoulaki P. (2019-2020), Golfinopoulou V. (2019-2020), Gourgouleti E. (2020-2021), Ibrahim El Asah S. (2019-2020), Iliopoulos-Koulakos E.-A. (2019-2020), Ioannidou V. (2019-2020), Kakara V.-O. (2020-2021), Kallimani V. (2019-2020), Kalogerakou M. (2019-2020), Kanelou M. (2020-2021), Karaleka E. (2020-2021), Kariophyllis P. (2020-2021), Katakaleas A. (2019-2020), Kazani Sp. (2019-2020), Kokkini P. (2019-2020), Kolliakou A. (2020-2021), Kosmidi Chr. (2020-2021), Kotsanou S.-K. (2019-2020), Kotzampasaki K. (2021), Koulouri E. (2019-2020), Koumpouli Ch. (2019-2020), Koutalianou Chr. (2019-2020), Lamprinos V. (2020-2021), Lavari E. (2019-2021), Letti E. (2019-2020), Liapati V. (2019), Liopeta Chr. (2019-2020), Liosi P. (2019-2020), Louki M.-E. (2019-2020), Loukopoulos K. (2020-2021), Lourida S. (2019-2020), Makris A. (2019-2020), Markoglou K. (2020-2021), Markou K. (2019-2020), Markou Th. (2019-2020), Marten S. (2020-2021), Mastora St.-St. (2019-2020), Mastrogianni Eir.(2020-2021), Metaxa E.-A. (2020-2021), Michalopoulou A. (2020-2021), Mistiloglou Sp. (2019), Mitakou M.-M. (2019-2020), Mitropoulou N.(2019-2020), Mylonias-Ploutos E. (2019-2020), Nikolopoulou A. (2019-2020), Nikoloulea A. (2019-2020), Nimas Th. (2019-2020), Ntouzou A. (2020-2021), Oikonomou Chr. (2019-2020), Omiridou E. (2019-2020), Panagopoulou St. (2020-2021), Papadakis E. (2019-2020), Papadogona S. (2019-2020), Papadothomakos A. (2020-2021), Papagora A. (2019-2020), Papatzikou-Ntaifa E. (2019-2020), Patoura F. (2020-2021), Peppe E. (2019-2020), Peristeraki K. (2019-2020), Petresi E. (2019-2020), Petropoulou Eir. (2019-2020), Pisina M. (2019-2020), Ploumistou E. (2020-2021), Poila A. (2019-2020), Poimenides A. (2020-2021), Psilou F. (2020-2021), Raptis K. (2019-2020), Risba M. (2019-2020), Rompo St. (2020-2021), Rozaki Chr.-A. (2019-2020), Sidiropoulou V. (2020-2021), Sotiropoulos S. (2019-2020), Spyropoulou Eir. (2020-2021), Stavropoulos A. (2020), Stergiou Chr. (2019-2020), Strimenopoulos A. (2020), Theotokatou Ch. (2020), Triantafyllou M. (2020-2021), Tribyzas I. (2020-2021), Tsagkari V.-St. (2020-2021), Tsalla M. (2020), Tzortzaki Z. (2019-2020), Valavanis Sp. (2019-2020), Vanikioti A. (2020), Vasileiou K. (2021), Vasileiou V.-A. (2020-2021), Vereketi E. (2020-2021), Vlachopoulos G. (2020-2021), Zika M.-K. (2019-2020), Zoi O. (2020-2021)