Scandinavia

=== Ancient descriptions ===
A key ancient description of Scandinavia was provided by [[Pliny the Elder]], though his mentions of {{lang|la|Scatinavia}} and surrounding areas are not always easy to decipher. Writing in the capacity of a Roman admiral, he introduces the northern region by declaring to his Roman readers that there are 23 islands "Romanis armis cognitae" ("known to Roman arms") in this area. According to Pliny, the "clarissima" ("most famous") of the region's islands is {{lang|la|Scatinavia}}, of unknown size. There live the ''[[Hilleviones]]''. The belief that Scandinavia was an island became widespread among classical authors during the 1st century and dominated descriptions of Scandinavia in classical texts during the centuries that followed.

Pliny begins his description of the route to {{lang|la|Scatinavia}} by referring to the mountain of Saevo ({{lang|la|mons Saevo ibi}}), the Codanus Bay ("Codanus sinus") and the Cimbrian promontory.<ref>Pliny the Elder. ''Naturalis Historia''. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0138&query=book%3D%235&chunk=book, Book IV, chapter XXXIX] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514175826/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0138&query=book%3D%235&chunk=book, |date=14 May 2008 }}. Ed. Karl Friedrich Theodor Mayhoff. Online version at Persus. Retrieved 2 October 2007.</ref> The geographical features have been identified in various ways. By some scholars, {{lang|la|Saevo}} is thought to be the mountainous [[Norway|Norwegian]] coast at the entrance to [[Skagerrak]] and the [[Cimbri]]an peninsula is thought to be [[Skagen]], the north tip of [[Jutland]], Denmark. As described, {{lang|la|Saevo}} and {{lang|la|Scatinavia}} can also be the same place.

Pliny mentions Scandinavia one more time: in Book VIII he says that the animal called {{lang|la|achlis}} (given in the accusative, {{lang|la|achlin}}, which is not Latin) was born on the island of Scandinavia.<ref>Pliny the Elder. ''Naturalis Historia''. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0138&query=book%3D%239 Book VIII, chapter XVII] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514143823/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0138&query=book%3D%239 |date=14 May 2008 }}. Ed. Karl Friedrich Theodor Mayhoff. Online version at Persus. Retrieved 2 October 2007.</ref> The animal grazes, has a big upper lip and some mythical attributes.

The name {{lang|la|[[Scandza|Scandia]]}}, later used as a synonym for {{lang|la|Scandinavia}}, also appears in Pliny's {{Lang|la|[[Natural History (Pliny)|Naturalis Historia]]}} (''Natural History''), but is used for a group of Northern European islands which he locates north of [[Britannia]]. {{lang|la|Scandia}} thus does not appear to be denoting the island Scadinavia in Pliny's text. The idea that {{lang|la|Scadinavia}} may have been one of the {{lang|la|Scandiae}} islands was instead introduced by [[Ptolemy]] ({{Circa|90|168&nbsp;AD}}), a mathematician, geographer and astrologer of Roman Egypt. He used the name {{lang|la|Skandia}} for the biggest, most easterly of the three {{lang|la|Scandiai}} islands, which according to him were all located east of [[Jutland]].<ref name="Helle" />