Baltia

Baltia ( Balcia, Basilia, also basileia ) in antiquity the name of the legendary Amber island and according to Pliny, the name of an island in Northern Europe. The name of the island is different in tradition.

The island is said to be three days trips from the coast of the Scythians. Pliny identifies mentioned by Pytheas Basilia island with the island Balcia. Diodorus refers to the island as basileia and gives as its location on the area between the residential areas of the Scythians and the Germans. The island was in ancient times as the main origin of amber, which will be inundated especially on their coasts. As a further source of Pliny calls the mention of the island by Metrodorus, whose works are not transmitted to us.

The specialist believes that with all the different names for an island is called, which in part the view is taken that it was around the island Osel. The diversity of the traditional names could be explained by the fact that Pytheas had probably called two names of the island, the name of the island by the indigenous population and the Greek name of the island. Continuing the tradition of the traditional name of the island of Pytheas had been mutilated and lack written, so that the different names are created for this island. Johann Kaspar Zeuß argues in his book The Germans considered that the island's name came from the language of the Aisten and "knows" mean.

It will also be argued that it constitutes Zealand at the island of Baltia and were so derived from the ancient name of the island our geographical designations " Baltic ", " Baltic Sea".