1660: Old Texts and Referencing Problems Jul 1, 2019

A frequent problem with translating old texts is that of references. For instance, a problem with Roman texts describing the British Isles often do not specify names for bits of land or bodies of water. Sometimes this is a frustration for historians only, but at other points it is historically important, such as how Agricola was said to have crossed a body of water from England to conquer Hibernians. This could be the Irish Sea to get to Ireland or the North Sea to Scotland, both of which had tribes who lived in both areas, such as the Scotii who are the namesake of Scotland but who lived in the North of Ireland too. Ultimately, neither area was successfully conquered, but it would be historically and archeologically significant to know how contact with Ireland was established.

See more of what Word Facts has to offer at patreon.com/wordfacts