Classics Retold

Updated 04/11/2024 In the previous Section we saw the unknown sailor in various beaches of Aziana. None of these beaches was a natural harbour and factors like climate, the tides, formation of sandbars etc. decided the suitability of the beach for anchorage. Now the voyage continued: Two days sail beyond, there lies the very last market-town of the continent of Azania which is called Rhapta ; which has its name from the sewed boats (raphton ploiarion) already mentioned; in which there is ivory in great quantity, and tortoise shells. Along this coast live men of piratical habits, very great in stature, and under separate chiefs for each place. The Mapharitic chief governs it under some ancient right that subjects it to the sovereignty of the state that is become first in Arabia. And the people who Muza now hold it under his authority, and send tither many large ships, using Arab captains and agents, who were familiar with the natives and intermarry with them, and who know the whole co...

In the previous section, that is Thirteen, the anonymous sailor was in Opone (modern day Hafun in  Somalia). Here he is taking a look at the ocean trade between Egypt on the one side and the western and eastern coasts of Indian subcontinent. Continue reading: The voyage to all these far-side market-towns is made from Egypt about the month of July, that is Epiphi. And also ships are customerily fitted out from the places accross the sea from Araica and Barygaza , bringing to these far-side market-towns the products of their own places; wheat, rice, clarified butter, seasame oil, cotton cloth (the monache and the sagmatogene ), and girdles and honey from the reed called sacchari . Some make the voyage especially to these market-towns, and others exchange their cargoes while sailing along the coast. This country is not subject to a King, but each town is ruled by its separate chiefs. My Search:- 1. Monache: Since it was referred as cloth, it may be derived from "Mungil" a Sans...

The anonymous sailor is now somewhere around the Horn of Africa, Mundus (possibly Maydh in Somalia) To Continue: Beyond Mundus, sailing toward the east, after another two days' sail, or three, you reach Mosyllum, on a beach with bad anchorage. There are imported here the same things already mentioned, also silver plate, a very little iron, and glass. There are shipped from the place a great quantity of cinnamon (so that this market-town requires ships of larger size ) and fragrant gums, spices, a little tortoise shell, and mocrotu, (poorer than that of Mundus ) frankincense from the "far-side", ivory and myrrh in small quantities. My Search:- 1. Mosyllum: Modern day Bosaso, historically known as Bender Cassim, located in the Bari region of Somalia. It is on the upper side of Horn; between Laasqoray, and Qandla 2. Mocrotu: Possibly frankincense. 3. Mundus: A Latin word meaning a market-town. Possibly Maydh in Somalia. 4. Myrrh: Commiphora myrrh a tree found plentifully in...

Updated 30/11/2024 We have seen in Section eight, that the anonymous sailor had been in Malao (Berbera), on the upper base of the Horn of Africa. Now the narrative continues: Two days sail or three, beyond Malao is the market town of Mundus , where the ships lie at anchor safely behind a projecting island close to the shore. There are imported into this place the things previously set forth, and from it likewise are exported the merchandise already stated and the incense called mocrotu . And the traders living here are more quarrelsome [Greek skleros: tough i.e. shrewd traders] My Search:- 1. Mundus: The word is from Latin, means market-town. In ancient times Mundus was a hub of trade and commerce, and of social gatherings. The possible location is Maydh, a promontory. 2. Mocrotu: A kind of aromatic resin. Perhaps it might be frankincense. End of the Section 

Updated 02/11/2024 In the last Section, at Zula (ancient Avalites) the unknown sailor had been giving an account of imports and exports into and out of ports around Zula. Lret us see his further course: After Avalites there is another market-town, better than this, called Malao  distant a sail of about eight hundred stadia. The anchorage is an open roadstead, sheltered by a spit running out from the east. Here the natives are more peaceable. There are imported into this place the things already mentioned, and many tunics, cloaks from Arsinoe, dressed and dyed; drinking cups, sheets of soft copper in small quantity, iron and gold and silver coins, not much. There are exported from these places myrrh, a little frankincense (that is known as far-side), the harder cinnamon, duaca, Indian copal, and macir, which are imported into Arabia; and slaves, but rarely. Notes:- 1. Malao: A coastal town in Eritrea; in Semien-ki-Bahri region known for its beaches and historic port. Now it is calle...

In Section six the unknown sailor was at Zula (ancient Adulis). He had been giving an account of imports and exports to Zula and other ports he covered earlier. From this place the Arabian Gulf trends toward the east and become narrow just before the Gulf of Avalites.  After about four thousand stadia [about four hundred miles or six hundred and forty kilometres] for those sailing eastward along the same coast there are other Berber market-towns, known as the "far-side ports; lying at intervals one after the other without harbours but having roadsteads where ships can anchor and lie in good weather. The first is called Avalites; to this place the voyage from Arabia to far-side coast is shortest. Here there is a small market-town called Avalites, which must be reached by boats and rafts. There are imported into this place, flint glass assorted, juice of sour grapes from Diospolis,  dressed cloth assorted, made for the Berbers; wheat, wine and a little tin. There are exported f...

Updated 30/11/2024 In the last Section, last point was Debealuwa/Dhalak (Alalaei )island in the Red Sea, The island is northeast of Gulf of Zula, and the mountain island is in Northern Red Sea Region. And about eight hundred stadia beyond there is another very deep bay, with a great mound of sand piled up at the right of the entrance; at the bottom of which the opsian stone is found, and this is the only place where it is produced. These places, from the Calf-Eaters to the other Berber country, are governed by Zoscales , who is miserly in his ways and always striving for more, but otherwise upright, and acquainted.    My Search:- 1. Opsian stones: Also known as obsidian stones. They are volcanic glass artefacts used for various purposes like making of tools, in jewellery, mirrors and ritual objects. They were widely used in Asian, African and Mediterranean cultures  2. Berber countries: Berbers are the indigenous peoples of Africa, like that of Morocco, Algeria, Libya e...

Updated 29/11/2024 Below the Calf-Eaters there is a little market-town on the shore after sailing about four thousand stadia from Berenice, called Ptolemais of Hunts, from which the hunters started for the interior under the dynasty of Ptolemies. This market town has true land to rtoise in small quantities; it is white and smaller in the shells. And here also is found a little ivory, like that of Adulis. But the place has no harbour, and is reached by small boats. 1. Calf-Eaters: Cattle rearing nomadic tribes. 2. Stadia is the plural of stadion. Ten  stadia= one mile. 3. Ptolemais of Hunts: Ptolemies Theron is the exact Greek term,  located at the Bay of Anfile or Amphila Bay on the coast of Eritrea. Facing the bay is Hando island. It is, in fact, a double bay, an inner bay within, between promontories M'edr and Lelisa. End of the Section 

What lies beyond this area, because of extreme storm, bitter cold, and difficult terrain and also because of some divine power of the gods, has not been explored. An Abrupt End. Beyond Indo-Tibetan border he did not venture to go.

Every year on the boarders of  Thina there turns up a certain tribe, short in body and very flat faced called Sesatai . They come with their wives and children bearing great packs resembling mats of green leaves and then remain at some spot on the boarder between them and those on the Thina side, and they hold a festival for several days, spreading out their mats under them, and then take off for their own homes in the interior. The locals, counting on this, then turn up in the area, collect what the Sesatai had spread out, extract fibers from the reeds, which are called petroi, and lightly rubbing over the leaves, and rolling them into ball like shapes, they string them on on the fibers from the reeds. There are three grades: what is called big ball malabathrum from the bigger leaves, medium ball malabathrum from the lesser leaves; and small ball malabathrum from the smaller. Thus three grades of malabathrum are produced, and then they are transported into India, by the people who...

In the previous section Gaurdafui and Tohen on the Red Sea coast were described. Gaurdafui is on the apex of The Horn.Tohen is around 10 kilometres south of Gaurdafui. Gaurdafui's strategic position in relation to Gulf of Aden helped it to align it with known trade routes connecting East Africa to Arabia and India. Continue reading Thirteen. Beyond Taba (modern day Tohen), after four hundred stadia, there is the village of Pano . And then, after sailing four hundred stadia, along a promontory, towards which place the current also draws you, there is another market-town called Opone , into which the same things are imported, as those already mentioned, and in it the greatest quantity of cinnamon is produced, (the arebo, and moto), and slaves of better sort, which are brought to Egypt in increasing numbers and a great quantity of tortoise shell, better than that found elsewhere. My Search:- The village of Pano may be somewhere between Tohen and Hafun. It is widely accepted by scholar...

The last station of the anonymous sailor was somewhere at the Horn by Little Nile and the last point he mentioned was Elephant cape. We may assume that Elephant Cape is somewhere around the tip of the Horn. Yes it is Cape Gaurdafui on the tip of the Horn. A sign of an approaching storm which is peculiar to the place, is that the deep water becomes turbid and changes its colour. When this happens they all run to a large promontory called Taba, which offers safe shelter. There imported into this market-town the things already mentioned; and there are produced in it cinnamon, (and its different varieties, gizir, asypha, arebo, magla, and moto) and frankincense. And from there the lush green of Accana on the coast could be seen. Beyond this place the coast trending toward south there is the market and   Cape of Spices , an abrupt promontory at the very end of Berber coast towards the east. The anchorage is dangerous at times from the ground swell, because the place is exposed to n...

Updated 03/11/2024 The anonymous sailor had reached Mosyllum or the modern day Bosaso on the Horn of Africa. Look at his voyage beyond Bosaso, on the western shore of Gulf of Aden: Sailing along the coast beyond Mosyllum, after two days' course you come to the so called Little Nile River, and a fine spring, and a small laurel grove and Cape Elephant. Then the shore recedes into a bay, and has a river called Elephant, and a large laurel grove called   Accana ; where alone is produced the far-side frankincense, in great quantity and of best grade. My Search:- 1. Little Nile River: Also known as Atbara River, and Small Nile; rises on Ethiopian Highlands and joins Nile near Atbara, Sudan. Neiloptolemaiu is the Greek word for little Nile River, and Tapatege for a fine spring. 2. Cape Elephant refers to the tip of the Horn; the word elephant is used to denote the size of land jutting into the sea. Cape Elephas is the Koine Greek term. 3. Accana is believed to be on the coast of Yem...

Updated on 01/11/2024 The last point was Adulis ( Zula), and from there we had a glimpse of Debealuwa island in Red Sea, opposite Gulf of Zula. There are imported into these places, undressed cloth made in Egypt for the Berbers ; robes from Arsinoe; cloaks of poor quality dyed in eight colours; double fringed linen mantles; many articles of flint glass, and others of murrhine  made in Diospolis; and brass which is used for ornaments and in cut pieces instead of coins; sheets of soft copper, used for cooking utensils and cut cups for bracelets and anklets for women; iron which is made into spears used against elephants and other wild beasts, and in their wars. Besides these, small axes are imported, and adzes and swords, copper drinking cups, round and large; a little coin for those coming to market; wine of Laodicea and Italy, not much; olive oil, not much; for the king gold and silver plate, made after the fashion of the country, and for clothing, military cloaks, and thin coat...