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Ancient scientific basis of the "great serpent" from historical evidenceZoological data and a growing mythology contributed to ancient Western knowledge about large serpents. Yet little modern attention has been paid to the sources, transmission, and receipt in the early Middle Ages of the ancients' information concerning "dragons" and "sea serpents." Real animals--primarily pythons and whales--lie behind the ancient stories. Other animals, conflations of different animals, simple misunderstandings, and willful exaggerations are found to account for the fanciful embellishments, but primitive myths played no significant role in this process during classical times. The expedition of Alexander the Great into India (327-325 B.C.) and the Bagradas River incident in North Africa (256 B.C.) had enormous repercussions on the development of serpent lore. Credible evidence is found for the presence of ancient populations of pythons living along the North African coast west of Egypt and along the coast of the Arabian Sea between the Indus River and the Strait of Hormuz--places where they no longer exist today. The maximum sizes of ancient pythons may have been greater than those of today's specimens.
Document ID
20050149558
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Stothers, Richard B.
(NASA Goddard Inst. for Space Studies New York, NY United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 2004
Publication Information
Publication: Isis; an international review devoted to the history of science and its cultural influences
Volume: 95
Issue: 2
ISSN: 0021-1753
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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