The goal of Pleiades is to expand and enhance the information originally published in the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World (R.J.A. Talbert, ed., Princeton, 2000). The Atlas and accompanying Map-by-Map Directory, on account of space, could include only so much information. In most cases only one name appears for any given geographic entity. In some cases, where the name of an entity was changed from one historical period to the next, the directory does make note of the new name(s) (e.g., Apamea (Hellenistic, Roman, Late Antique), Kelainai (Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Late Antique), and Kibotos (Roman)). In all cases, however, entities appear transliterated from the Greek into Latin characters or use Latinized versions of the name. Pleiades, because it is web-based, will provide a greater amount of information to the user, whether scholar or enthusiast. Within the Pleiades system each entity will contain all of the information found in the map-by-map directory (name, period, modern name / location, and some basic secondary references) as well as a unique geographic identifier, an entity type (settlement, geographic feature, etc.), spatial coordinates and a spatial geometry type. Also included will be a section titled Historical Names. In the Historical Names section users will be directed by link to another page which will display, along with another unique identifier and name type, the attested name, the original language in which the name is attested, the historical period in which the site, corresponding to that name, was functioning, and primary and secondary source references. Orthography, the correct spelling (including the use of the correct alphabet) and usage of a word, is paramount. The closer we can decipher the attested and proper name of a geographic entity the better we, as historians, geographers and enthusiasts, will understand the ancient world. The project team currently is occupied with the collection of such data for Map 65: Lycia-Pisidia of the Barrington Atlas.

The compilers began to search for such information (orthography and primary and secondary source references) in A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (William Smith, ed., John Murray, 1878). Compilers compared the Barrington Atlas directory of Map 65 with the alphabetized entries in Smith’s dictionary and began to organize the data Smith provided. The search was made easier by the inclusion of Smith’s lengthy work (vol. 1, 1108 pages and vol. 2, 1383 pages) on the web at http://www.perseus.tufts.edu. Smith’s dictionary is a useful starting point for any such attempts, but its age and format make it only a starting point. Originally published in 1854 the work lacks current research. The format also causes some problems. Smith and the Barrington Atlas vary in their spelling of names: Smith, more often than not opts for the Latinized version of any site, whereas the Barrington Atlas will usually provide the Greek form transliterated into the English alphabet. Thus, whereas the Barrington Atlas presents Anaua/Sanaos, Smith offers Anaua/Sanaus or where the Barrington Atlas presents Kibyratis, Smith offers Cibyra. In most cases it is a difference of “o” for “u” or “k” for “c” or “i” for “e”. Still the differences have required careful compilation. Furthermore, in some cases of geographic entities with multiple names that the Barrington Atlas recognized as located in the same place at different periods of time are found in Smith under completely different headings. Thus, Apamea / Kelainai / Kibotos, as labeled in the map-by-map directory required the compiler to search Smith under both “Apameia” and “Celaenae”. Kibotos does not have an individual entry in Smith but is mentioned under the entry for Apamei.

After finding the geographic entity in Smith that corresponds to an entity in the Barrington Atlas the compiler will then find in Smith a complete orthography including possible ethnicities for a particular place. The list will include Greek variations, Latin variations of the place name as well as Greek and Latin variation of the ethnicities. But, each individual item in a list is rarely linked to a specific ancient text. Smith and his team of compliers (even nineteenth century geography was collaborative) do provide descriptions of each entity within which a number of primary sources are cited. It is up to the compiler of the Pleiades dataset to determine which references usefully account for a particular orthography (especially in the nominative case) and which are passing mentions of the town in oblique cases. Such instances are useful for the historian but, at present, are not part of the Pleiades project.

In order to insure that a proper orthography has been obtained the compiler must double check the citations offered by Smith. One helpful tool for this is the online Thesaurus Linguae Graecae (http://stephanus.tlg.uci.edu/inst/fontsel). Here, the user can search the entries presented by Smith in an effort to confirm citations and in some cases orthography. Such searches also result in many more possible source references for any given geographic entity. Still the compiler should not be satisfied until a relevant text edition has been checked for confirmation of the online citations. The Pleiades team has compiled a database of the most useful and critical editions for all primary sources cited by Smith regarding those entities found in the Barrington Atlas directory for Map 65: Lycia-Pisidia. In general, the most recent edition with an up-to-date, relevant, and accurate apparatus criticus, has been used. These texts will supply the data found on the Pleiades system.