Exploration and Discoveries from Antiquity to the Middle Ages
The text provides a comprehensive overview of significant shifts and their contributions to geographical knowledge from ancient times to the early Middle Ages. It begins with Hanno, a Carthaginian explorer who ventured along the West African coast around 505 BCE, establishing colonies and documenting his journey in the "Periplus of Hanno." Herodotus, known as the "Father of History," traveled extensively in the 5th century BCE, visiting Egypt, Libya, and parts of Asia, and providing detailed accounts of the cultures and geographies he encountered. Pytheas, a Greek voyager from the 4th century BCE, is noted for his journey to the British Isles and beyond, reaching as far as Thule, possibly modern-day Norway. Nearchus, an admiral under Alexander the Great, navigated from the Indus River to the Persian Gulf, contributing to the understanding of the Indian Ocean's monsoon winds. The text also highlights Eudoxus of Cyzicus, who attempted to circumnavigate Africa in the 2nd century BCE. Moving into the Christian era, the text discusses Pausanias, a Greek traveler of the 2nd century CE, who documented his travels through Greece, and Fa-Hian, a Chinese monk who explored India and Ceylon in the 4th century CE. The narrative continues with Cosmas Indicopleustes, a 6th-century merchant who wrote about the Christian Topography of the Universe, and Arculphe, a 7th-century bishop who described the Holy Land. The text concludes with Soleyman, an Arab traveler of the 9th century, who journeyed through Ceylon and Sumatra, providing insights into the cultures and geographies of Southeast Asia.
