Great travelers: list, discoveries and interesting facts. The most famous travelers in the world “The bell has rung

An outstanding traveler of antiquity was the Greek historian and geographer Herodotus from the port city of Halicarnassus on the western coast of Asia Minor. He lived in an era when Ancient Greece waged a difficult struggle with the mighty Persian power. Herodotus decided to write the history of the Greco-Persian wars and tell in detail about the nature and life of the population of the countries that were under Persian rule at that time.

Herodotus' travels date back to 460-450. BC e. He visited Greek cities on the coast of Asia Minor and the countries of the Balkan Peninsula. Herodotus made a long journey to Scythia - the southern regions of the Russian Plain.

Before Herodotus, Scythia was little known to the Greeks, although they traded with it. Herodotus's information is of great importance for historians. Herodotus, who was born and raised in mountainous and wooded areas, was struck by Scythia with its huge treeless plains and rich pastures. The Scythian winter, lasting several months, seemed harsh to Herodotus. He wrote that in Scythia in winter, spilled water “does not make dirt” (that is, it freezes). Summer also seemed cold and rainy to him. Herodotus was also amazed by the huge rivers of Scythia - Hypanis (Southern Bug), Borysthenes (Dnieper), Tanais (Don) and others. He knew from childhood that in Greece rivers originate in the mountains, but in Scythia the mountains. No. In his opinion, these rivers had to begin in some large lakes. Despite this erroneous view, Herodotus generally correctly characterized the Scythian plain. Herodotus was especially interested in the tribes that inhabited Scythia and its neighboring regions. The Scythians, who lived in the steppe and partly forest-steppe zones, were divided into farmers and cattle breeders. The nomadic lifestyle of the Scythian herders seemed unusual to the Greeks.

Herodotus collected interesting, sometimes semi-fantastic information about the peoples who lived to the north and northeast of the Scythians. He learned about hunters - Tissagets and Irkas, who inhabited the “stony and uneven land” (probably the Urals and Kama region), and about the dense forests growing there, where beavers, otters and other fur-bearing animals live. Further, at the foot of high and inaccessible mountains (this is probably the Ural range), the Argypean tribes, who had shaved heads and flat faces with large chins, occupied the territory.

Herodotus was told that even further away lay the habitat of one-eyed people - the Arimaspians. There's a lot of gold there. But he is guarded by vultures - terrible monsters that look like lions, with eagle beaks and wings. In the Far North, beyond Scythia, there are uninhabited lands where it is very cold, there is snow all the time and it is night for six months.

From Scythia, Herodotus went to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. From the inhabitants of Colchis he learned that behind the mountains stretches a huge sea (the Caspian), and beyond it is a vast plain. Warlike tribes live there - the Massagetae. Before Herodotus, the Greeks imagined the Caspian Sea as a bay of the ocean and did not know what lay to the east of it.

Returning to his homeland, Herodotus after some time set off on a new journey - to the interior regions of the Asia Minor peninsula and the Mesopotamian lowland. He described in detail Babylon with its high stone walls, huge library and luxurious terraced gardens. In Mesopotamia, he was especially interested in date palms, from the fruits of which the population prepared bread, wine and honey. Herodotus liked the ships sailing on the Tigris and Euphrates. Their round body was made of willow twigs and covered with a leather cover.

In Babylon, Herodotus learned a lot about “the most remote of the countries of the East.” This is what India was like for the Greeks. He was told that gold is mined in huge quantities in India, that there are many strange plants there: reeds, bamboo, from one of which one can supposedly make a boat; a cereal whose grain is “cooked and eaten together with the husk” (rice); trees bear fruits in the form of a ball of wool - from which the inhabitants of India make their own clothing (cotton).

Herodotus spent a lot of time in Egypt. He visited the cities there, the famous pyramids and the Sphinx, and climbed up the Nile to Siena (modern Aswan). Herodotus noted the features of the nature of Egypt: the absence of clouds and rain, the rise and flood of water in the Nile during the hottest time of the year, animals unknown in Greece and Asia Minor (crocodiles, hippopotamuses, fish and birds).

After Egypt, Herodotus visited the cities of Northern Libya (Africa), where he collected interesting information about the inhabitants of the northern part of the African continent and oases in the desert sandy zone. Herodotus's information about the ancient population of the Sahara is confirmed by the latest archaeological data (drawings on rocks in Tibesti, Fezzan and Oran).

The great traveler of Ancient Greece was also an astronomer Pytheus from Massilia (Marseille). Pytheas's expedition was organized by the traders of Massilia to find routes to the distant northern countries where there was tin and amber. Pytheas not only fulfilled the orders of the merchants, but also made several geographical discoveries that glorified his name.

On such ships the Greeks sailed into the Atlantic Ocean.

Pytheas' journey began in March 325 BC. e. Two fifty-oared ships left the harbor of Massilia. Their path lay to the Strait of Gibraltar, which was in the hands of the Carthaginians and was closed to the passage of foreign ships. During a thunderstorm under the cover of a dark night, Pytheas managed to bypass the guards and go out into the Atlantic Ocean. Day and night the ships sailed west, then north, trying to move as far as possible from dangerous places.

While spending the night at the mouth of a river, Pytheas, observing the ebb and flow of the tides, the first expressed the correct idea that this phenomenon is associated with the attraction of the Earth’s water shell by the Moon.

Sailing north, Pytheas reached the large Celtic city of Carbilon at the mouth of the Loire. He learned from local residents that tin comes to them from more northern countries. On the coast of the Brittany peninsula and on the island of Uxysama (modern Ouessant in Western France), Pytheas met with the Veneti and Osismi tribes, who told him that tin was brought from the islands lying to the north. One of the islands is called Albion or Britain. Next to it lie the small islands of the Cassiterides (“Tin”). Taking an interpreter, Pytheas sailed further and, having reached a narrow strait (Pas de Calais), crossed to the island of Britain.

At the southwestern tip of the island, he became familiar with the mining and smelting of tin. Having purchased tin, Pytheas sent one ship to Carbilon, and on the other continued sailing north along the western coast of Britain.

Pytheas was the first to observe and establish the relationship between geographic latitude and the length of day and night. The further he moved north (and at that time it was summer in the Northern Hemisphere), the longer the day became. Off the northern coast of Britain, he noted the length of the day was 18 hours, and the night - 6 hours.

From the shores of Northern Scotland, Pytheas headed to the Orkney and Shetland Islands. From here he carried out the famous voyage to the distant country of Thule, with which the inhabitants of Britain traded. Where could this legendary country of Thule be located? Most modern scientists believe that Thule is the Trondheimsfjord area on the western coast of Norway at 64° N. w.

In ancient times, no traveler before Pytheas climbed to such high latitudes. Sailing along the southern shores of the North Sea, Pytheas reached the area where Germanic tribes lived, mining amber. They collected pieces of amber left by the sea on the shore at low tide. They exchanged this amber with the Celts for iron products. From the Celts, amber came to Massilia and other cities of the Mediterranean.

Pytheas failed to penetrate further to the east. Off the western coast of the Jutland Peninsula, he found himself in dense fog. Pytheas concluded that the human habitation area ends here. Having exchanged iron products for amber, Pytheas set off on his way back. He left descriptions of his travels, but they have not reached us completely. We know about them from those passages that have been preserved by other ancient authors.

Travelers of ancient times

Hanno (505) - Herodotus (484) - Pytheas (340) - Eudoxus (146) - Strabo (63)

Hanno

Carthage - Fortunate (Canary) Islands, Evening Horn, Southern Horn, Rio de Oro Bay - Herodotus visits Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, Phenicia, Arabia, Babylonia, Persia, Media, Colchis, Caspian Sea, Scythia and Thrace - Pytheas explores the coasts of Iberia and Celtis, the English Channel, the island of Albion, the Orcadian (Orkney) islands, the land of Thule - Nearchus travels around the Asian coast from the Indus to the Persian Gulf - Eudoxus gets acquainted with the western coast of Africa - Strabo travels through Inner Asia, Egypt, Greece and Italy

The first traveler mentioned in historical sources was Hanno, sent by the Carthaginian 1 (numbers - see note at the end) Senate to colonize new territories on the west coast of Africa. The account of this expedition was written in Punic 2 and translated into Greek; it is known as “Hanno’s Sea Voyage Around the World.” What era did this explorer live in? Historians have different opinions. But the most reliable version is considered to be the one according to which his visit to the African shores dates back to 505 BC 3 .

Map of the Argonauts' voyage

Hanno left Carthage at the head of a fleet of sixty galleys, each with fifty oarsmen; the ships carried thirty thousand people and supplies for a long journey. The settlers - they could well be called that - had to settle in new cities. The Carthaginians were going to establish new settlements on the western coast of Libya, in other words, Africa.

The fleet safely passed the Pillars of Hercules 4 - the rocks of Gibraltar and Ceuta, towering above the strait, and ventured south into the Atlantic Ocean. Two days later, Hanno stopped and founded the city of Thimiatherium in this place. Continuing his voyage, he then rounded Cape Solosit, entered into trade relations with local residents and headed further to the mouth of a large African river, on the banks of which lived a tribe of nomadic shepherds. Having concluded a friendly alliance with them, the Carthaginian navigator continued to move south, along the deserted shores of the Sahara; then he reached the island of Kern, which, judging by the description, is located at the same distance from the Pillars of Hercules as the Pillars of Hercules are from Carthage. What island was this? Without a doubt, one of the islands belonging to the Happy (now Canary) group.

Pillars of Hercules. From a medieval map

The journey continued, and soon Hanno arrived at the mouth of the Hreta River, 5 forming a wide bay. When the Carthaginians sailed up the river, the local residents - blacks - greeted them with a hail of stones.

Having completed the reconnaissance, the fleet returned to the mouth of the river and, after a twelve-day voyage to the south, reached a mountainous area abounding in incense trees and balsam plants. Then the fleet stopped in a vast bay with smooth, low-lying shores. This land, so calm during the day, was illuminated at night by pillars of flame, either from fires lit by the natives or from the spontaneous combustion of dried grass.

After another five days, Hanno and his companions rounded the cape and entered the bay, which they called the Evening Horn. There, the traveler says, he heard the sounds of flutes, the roar of cymbals, tambourines 6 and the hum of countless voices. “The oracles accompanying the Carthaginian expedition advised to flee this terrible land.” They were obeyed, and the fleet continued sailing to lower latitudes.

Hanno then reached the bay called the Southern Horn. Geographers believe that this bay was apparently the mouth of the Riode Oro River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean near the Tropic of Cancer 7 .

In the depths of this bay could be seen an island replete with gorillas, which the Carthaginians mistook for hairy savages. They managed to capture three "women", but soon they were forced to kill them, since the rage of these monkeys was indomitable 8.

The Southern Horn was, without a doubt, the final point reached by the Punic expedition. Some historians claim that the Carthaginian fleet did not go further than Cape Bojador, located two degrees north of the tropics, but the first point of view seems to us more likely.

Having reached the Southern Horn, Hanno began to lack food supplies. Then he turned north and returned to Carthage, where, by his order, a marble slab with a description of the journey “around the world” was placed in the temple of Baal Moloch.

After the Carthaginian navigator, the most famous of the ancient travelers in historical times was the Greek scientist Herodotus, nicknamed "the father of history." For our purpose we will separate the traveler from the historian and follow him to the countries he visited.

Greek galley. 500 BC

Herodotus born around 484 BC 9 in the Asia Minor city of Halicarnassus. He came from a wealthy and noble family with extensive trade connections, which may have contributed to the development of the instincts of a traveler and explorer awakened in the boy.

At that time, there was no consensus regarding the shape of the Earth. The Pythagorean school had already begun to spread the doctrine that the Earth was spherical. But Herodotus did not take any part in these disputes that worried the scientists of his time. In his early youth, he left his homeland with the intention of carefully studying distant countries, about which very scanty and contradictory information was received.

In 464, at the age of twenty, he left Halicarnassus. Apparently, Herodotus first went to Egypt, where he visited the cities of Memphis, Heliopolis and Thebes. During the trip, he managed to obtain a lot of valuable information about the Nile floods. In his notes, he gives various opinions regarding the sources of this great river, which the Egyptians revered as a deity.

“When the Nile floods,” says Herodotus, “nothing is visible except cities; they appear to be built on top of water and resemble the islands of the Aegean Sea.”

Herodotus depicts the home life of the Egyptians, their customs, games, and talks about the art of embalming the dead, which the Egyptians mastered to perfection. Next, he reports what structures were erected under Pharaoh Cheops: a labyrinth built near Lake Merisa, the remains of which were discovered in 1799; Lake Meris, created by human hands, and two pyramids that rose above the surface of its waters; Herodotus speaks with surprise about the temples erected in Memphis, about the famous colossus made of solid stone, on the transportation of which two thousand people worked for three years from Elephantine 10 to Sais.

Having carefully studied Egypt, Herodotus headed to other countries of Libya, that is, Africa, but the young traveler did not even imagine that Africa extended far to the south, beyond the Tropic of Cancer; he believed that the Phoenicians could go around this continent and return to Egypt through the Strait of Gibraltar 11.

Egyptian ship. 1600 BC

Listing the peoples living in Libya, Herodotus mentions the shepherd tribes wandering along the coast of Africa, and also names the Ammonians, who live in the interior of the country, in places abounding in wild beasts. The Ammonians built the famous temple of Zeus of Ammon, the ruins of which were discovered in the northeast of the Libyan Desert, 500 kilometers from the city of Cairo 12. He also describes in detail the customs and morals of the Libyans and reports what animals are found in this country: snakes of terrible size, lions, elephants, horned donkeys (probably rhinoceroses), baboon monkeys - “headless animals with eyes on their chests”, foxes , hyenas, porcupines, wild sheep, panthers, etc.

According to Herodotus, Libya is inhabited by two peoples: Libyans and Ethiopians. But did he really travel through this country? Historians doubt this. Most likely, he wrote down many of the details from the words of the Egyptians. But there is no doubt that he really sailed to the city of Tyre, in Phenicia, since here he gives quite accurate descriptions. In addition, Herodotus collected information from which he compiled a brief description of Syria and Palestine.

Following this, Herodotus descends to the south - to Arabia, a country he calls Asian Ethiopia, that is, to that part of Southern Arabia, which he considers the last inhabited land. The Arabs living on the Arabian Peninsula, according to him, are strictly religious people. In their country valuable plants grow in abundance, from which frankincense and myrrh are obtained. The traveler provides interesting details about how fragrant substances are extracted from these plants.

Then we meet Herodotus in the countries he vaguely calls either Assyria or Babylonia. He begins his story about these countries with a careful description of Babylon, in which the kings lived since the destruction of the ancient capital of Nineveh. The ruins of Nineveh have survived to this day, in the form of mounds scattered along both banks of the Euphrates, at a distance of 78 kilometers southeast of Baghdad. The large, fast and deep Euphrates River then divided the city of Nineveh into two parts. In one there was a fortified royal palace, in the other - the temple of Zeus. Next, Herodotus speaks of the two queens of Babylon - Semiramis and Nitocris; then he goes on to describe crafts and agriculture, telling how wheat, barley, millet, sesame, grapes, fig trees and palm trees are cultivated in this country.

Having studied Babylon, Herodotus went to Persia and, since the purpose of his trip was to collect accurate information about the long Greco-Persian wars, he visited the places where these wars took place in order to obtain on the spot all the details he needed. Herodotus begins this part of his history with a description of the customs of the Persians. They, unlike other peoples, did not give their gods a human form, did not erect either temples or altars in their honor, content with performing religious rites on the tops of the mountains.

Next, Herodotus speaks about the life and morals of the Persians. They have an aversion to meat, a love of fruit, and a passion for wine; they show interest in foreign customs, love pleasure, value military valor, take raising children seriously, respect the right to life of everyone, even a slave; they hate lies and debts, and they despise lepers. The disease of leprosy serves as proof for them that “the unfortunate person has sinned against the Sun.”

The marriage was accompanied by nationwide publicity

Herodotus's India, according to Vivien de Saint-Martin 13 , is limited to the countries irrigated by the five tributaries of the present Panjnad, and to the territory of Afghanistan. The young traveler headed there, leaving the Persian kingdom 14. The Indians, in his opinion, are the most numerous of the known peoples. Some of them lead a sedentary lifestyle, others are constantly nomadic. The tribes living in the east of this country, as Herodotus claims, not only kill the sick and old people, but allegedly even eat them. The tribes living in the north are distinguished by their courage and skill in crafts. Their land is rich in golden sand.

Herodotus believes that India is the last inhabited country in the East. It maintains the same fertile climate at all times of the year as in Greece, located on the opposite end of the earth.

Then the indefatigable Herodotus went to Media, 15 where he compiled the history of the Medes, the first people to overthrow the yoke of the Assyrians. The Medes founded the huge city of Ecbatana (Hamadan), which was surrounded by seven rows of walls. Having crossed the mountains that separated Media from Colchis, the Greek traveler entered the country famous for the exploits of Jason 16 and studied its customs and customs with his characteristic conscientiousness.

Athenian merchant ship. 500 BC

Herodotus, apparently, was well acquainted with the contours of the Caspian Sea. He says that "this sea is in itself, and has no communication with another." The Caspian Sea, according to him, is limited in the west by the Caucasus Mountains, and in the east by a vast plain inhabited by the Massagetae, who probably belonged to the Scythian tribe. The Massagetae worshiped the sun and sacrificed horses to it. Herodotus also speaks of the great river Arak, which flows into the Caspian Sea.

Although Herodotus lists various Scythian tribes, it is not known whether he personally visited the countries located north of Pontus Euxine 17. He describes in detail the customs of these tribes and comes into sincere delight from the Pontus Euxine - this “hospitable sea”. Herodotus determines the dimensions of the Black Sea, the Bosporus, the Propontis 18 and the Sea of Azov, and his definitions are almost correct. He lists the large rivers flowing into the Black Sea: Istr, or Danube; Borysthenes, or Dnieper; Tanais, or Don.

The traveler conveys many myths about the origin of the Scythian people; in these myths, a large role is given to Hercules. He ends his description of Scythia with a story about the marriages of Scythians with warlike women from the Amazon tribe, which, in his opinion, can explain the Scythian custom that a girl cannot get married until she kills an enemy.

From Scythia, Herodotus arrived in Thrace. There he learned about the Hets - the most courageous people who inhabited this country 19. He then traveled to Greece, where he wanted to collect the missing information for his history. He visited areas where the main events of the Greco-Persian wars took place, including the Passage of Thermopylae, the Field of Marathon and Plataea. He then returned to Asia Minor and traveled around its coast, exploring the numerous colonies founded there by the Greeks.

Returning at the age of 28 to his homeland, Halicarnassus, the famous traveler took part in the popular movement against the tyrant Lygdamis and contributed to his overthrow. In 444 BC, Herodotus attended the Panathenaic festivals and read excerpts from the description of his travels there, arousing general enthusiasm. At the end of his life, he retired to Italy, to Turium, where he died in 426 BC, leaving behind him the fame of a famous traveler and an even more famous historian.

After Herodotus, we will step a century and a half later, mentioning a doctor by name Ctesias, a contemporary of Xenophon 20. Ctesias wrote an account of his journey through India, although there is no reliable information that he actually completed it.

In chronological order, let us now move on to Pytheas from Massilia - to a traveler, geographer and astronomer, one of the most learned men of his time. In 340 BC, Pytheas ventured to sail the Atlantic Ocean on a single ship. Instead of following the coast of Africa to the south, as his Carthaginian predecessors usually did, Pytheas went north, where he began exploring the coast of the Iberian Peninsula 21 and the coast of the Celtic country, right up to the granite Cape Finisterre. Then Pytheas entered the English Channel and landed on the island of Albion 22. He met the inhabitants of this island, who, according to him, were distinguished by good nature, honesty, moderation and ingenuity. They traded in tin, for which traders from distant countries came here.

Continuing north, Pytheas passed the Orkney Islands, located at the northern tip of Scotland, and rose to a latitude where “in summer the night did not exceed two hours.” After a six-day voyage across the North Sea, Pytheas reached the land known since then as Ultima Thule. Apparently, this was the Scandinavian peninsula. But Pytheas was no longer able to move further north. “Further,” he says, “there was no sea, no land, no air.”

Pytheas was forced to turn back, but his journey did not end there: he sailed east and arrived at the mouth of the Rhine, where the Ostions lived, and even further the Germans. From there he sailed to the mouth of a large river, which he calls Thais (probably the Elbe), and then sailed back to Massilia and returned to his hometown a year after he left it.

The remarkable traveler Pytheas was no less a remarkable scientist; He was the first to prove the influence of the Moon on the ebb and flow of the sea and noticed that the North Star does not occupy a point in celestial space that is located above the earth's pole, which was subsequently confirmed by science.

A few years after Pytheas, around 326 BC, another Greek traveler became famous for his research - Nearchs islands of Crete. As commander of the fleet of Alexander the Great, he was ordered to travel around the entire coast of Asia from the Indus to the Euphrates.

Nearchus sailors scare the whales

The idea of such an expedition was prompted by the need to establish communications between India and Egypt, in which Alexander was extremely interested, being at that time with his army 800 miles from the coast, in the upper reaches of the Indus. The commander equipped a fleet for Nearchus, consisting of thirty-three double-decker galleys and a large number of transport ships, which accommodated two thousand people. While Nearchus sailed with his fleet down the Indus, Alexander's army followed him on both banks. Having reached the Indian Ocean four months later, Nearchus sailed along the coast that now forms the border of Balochistan.

Nearchus set out to sea on the second of October, without waiting for the winter monsoon, which could have been favorable for his voyage. Therefore, in forty days of travel, Nearchus barely managed to swim 80 miles to the west. His first sites were made in Stura and Koreistis; these names do not correspond to any of the current villages located in those places. Then he sailed to the island of Krokala, which lies near the modern Karantian Bay. The fleet, destroyed by storms, took refuge in a natural harbor, which Nearchus was forced to strengthen “to protect against the attack of savages.”

Twenty-four days later, the naval commander of Alexander the Great again raised the sails and set off to sea. Violent storms forced him to make frequent stops at various places on the coast and defend himself from attacks by the Arabites, whom Eastern historians characterized as “a barbarian people who wear long hair, grow beards and look like fauns or bears.”

After many adventures and skirmishes with coastal tribes, Nearchus landed on the land of the Orites, which in modern geography bears the name: Cape Moran. “In this area,” notes Nearchus, describing his journey, “the sun at noon illuminated all objects vertically, and they did not cast shadows.” But Nearchus is apparently mistaken, since at this time of year the daylight was in the southern hemisphere, on the Tropic of Capricorn, and not in the northern hemisphere; in addition, the ships of Nearchus always sailed at a distance of several degrees from the Tropic of Cancer; therefore, even in summer in these areas, the sun at noon could not illuminate objects vertically.

When the northeast monsoon set in, sailing continued under favorable conditions. Nearchus followed the coast of the country of ichthyophages, that is, “people who eat fish” - a rather pitiful tribe who, due to a lack of pasture, were forced to feed their sheep with seafood. Here Nearchus's fleet began to lack food supplies. Having rounded Cape Posmi, Nearchus took a native helmsman into his galley. Driven by coastal winds, Nearchus' ships successfully moved forward. The coast became less barren. There were trees here and there. Nearchus landed at a city of ichthyophages, the name of which he does not indicate, and, suddenly attacking the inhabitants, forcibly seized from them the supplies that his fleet so needed.

Then the ships arrived in Kanazida, in other words, the city of Churbar. The ruins of this city can still be seen near the bay of the same name. By that time, the Macedonians were already running out of bread. It was in vain that Nearchus stopped in Kanata, in Troy and in Dagazir - he was unable to obtain anything from these poor peoples. The sailors had no more meat or bread, and yet they did not dare to eat turtles, which abound in these countries.

Almost at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, the fleet encountered a large herd of whales. The frightened sailors wanted to turn the galleys back, but Nearchus boldly went forward on his ship, towards the sea monsters, which they managed to disperse.

Having reached Carmania 23, the ships diverted to the northwest. The banks here were fertile; Everywhere there were grain fields, vast pastures, and fruit trees. Nearchus dropped anchor at Badis, present-day Iask. Then, having rounded Cape Macet or Mussendon, the sailors found themselves at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, to which Nearchus, like the Arab geographers, gives the unusual name of the Red Sea.

In the harbor of Harmosia (Ormuz), Nearchus learned that Alexander's army was five days' journey away. Having landed on the shore, he hastened to join the conqueror. Alexander, having not received any news about his fleet for twenty-one weeks, no longer hoped to see it. One can imagine the commander’s joy when Nearchus, emaciated beyond recognition, appeared before him safe and sound! To celebrate his return, Alexander ordered gymnastic games to be held and abundant sacrifices to be made to the gods. Nearchus then went again to Harmosia, where he left his fleet to sail from there to the mouth of the Euphrates.

Sailing along the Persian Gulf, the Macedonian fleet landed on many islands, and then, rounding Cape Bestion, sailed to the island of Keisho, on the border of Carmania. Then Persia began. Nearchus' ships, following along the Persian coast, stopped in different places to stock up on bread, which Alexander sent here.

After several days of sailing, Nearchus arrived at the mouth of the Endiana River, then reached the river flowing from the large, fish-infested lake Kataderbis, and finally dropped anchor near the Babylonian village of Degela, not far from the mouth of the Euphrates, thus sailing along the entire Persian coast. Here Nearchus again united with the army of Alexander the Great, who generously rewarded him and appointed him commander of his entire fleet. Alexander also wanted to explore the Arab coast of the Persian Gulf, right up to the Red Sea, and establish a sea route from Persia and Babylon to Egypt, but death prevented him from carrying out this plan.

Nearchus is believed to have been killed at the Battle of Ipsus. He left behind the glory of a skilled navigator, and his journey constitutes an important event in the history of navigation.

Now we should also mention the bold enterprise of the Greek geographer Eudoxa, who lived in the 2nd century BC. Having visited Egypt and the shores of India, this brave traveler had the intention of circumnavigating Africa, which was actually accomplished only sixteen centuries later by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama.

Eudoxus hired a large ship and two longboats and set sail through the unfamiliar waters of the Atlantic Ocean. How far did he take his ships? It's difficult to determine. Be that as it may, having met the natives, whom he mistook for Ethiopians, he returned to Mauritania 25, and from there he crossed to Iberia and began preparations for a new extensive journey around Africa. Was this journey made? Doubtful. It must be said that this Eudoxus, an undoubtedly brave man, does not deserve much trust. In any case, scientists do not take him seriously.

Roman galley. 110 BC

Among the ancient travelers it remains for us to mention the names of Caesar and Strabo. Julius Caesar 26, born in 100 BC, was primarily a conqueror and did not set out to explore new countries. Let us only recall that in 58 BC he began to conquer Gaul and ten years later he brought his legions to the shores of Great Britain, which was inhabited by peoples of Germanic origin.

Concerning Strabo, born in Cappadocia 27 around 63 AD, he is known more as a geographer than a traveler. However, he traveled through Asia Minor, Egypt, Greece, Italy and lived for a long time in Rome, where he died in the last years of the reign of Tiberius. Strabo left a Geography divided into seventeen books, most of which have survived to this day. This work, together with the works of Ptolemy, constitutes the most important monument of ancient Greek geography.

Notes

1Carthage was founded by the Phoenicians around 850 BC on the northern coast of Africa, in the Gulf of Tunis.

2 The Romans called the Carthaginians Punes; hence the name of the language - Punic.

3 The exact date of the expedition Hanno impossible to install. Modern scholars date it to the 5th or 6th century BC. The description of this voyage has come to us in the form of an “adventure novel,” in which reliable facts are intertwined with fictional ones. However, the geographical description of the western coast of Africa and the story of steppe fires within the country leave no doubt about the authenticity of the journey, which was subsequently overgrown with various fables. Hanno was the first navigator to visit the west coast of Africa. He sailed along this coast from the Strait of Gibraltar to the south for about 4,500 kilometers. Nineteen centuries later, it took Portuguese navigators fifty years to explore the coastline that Hanno had bypassed.

4 Pillars of Hercules- two mountains on the European and African shores of the Strait of Gibraltar, allegedly erected by the mythical hero Hercules. According to the ancient Greeks, the Pillars of Hercules were the western edge of the known world.

5 Probably the Senegal River.

6 Cymbals- an ancient musical instrument in the form of copper cymbals. Tambourine- a percussion musical instrument resembling a tambourine.

7 Southern Horn- now Sherborough Bay in the state of Sierra Leone (formerly an English colony), located on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea.

8 We must assume that these were not gorillas, but chimpanzees.

9 Biographical information about Herodotus is extremely scarce. The exact years of his life are not known; he is believed to have been born around 484 BC and died in 424 or 426 BC. Herodotus is the author of the first large historical work that has come down to us - the famous “History”, in which he included rich geographical material collected during his long travels. It is impossible to say exactly which countries Herodotus visited during his travels. There is no doubt that he visited Egypt and the northern coast of the Black Sea. In the east it probably reached Babylon. Herodotus also speaks of a journey to India, but this description has no historical basis.

10 Island Elephantine(Ivory) is located on the Nile River, at the first rapids, on the border of Egypt and Sudan.

11 Here the author is referring to the story Herodotus heard in Egypt about the journey of Phoenician sailors around Africa, undertaken by order of the Egyptian pharaoh Necho around 600 BC. This enterprise has no equal in the history of geographical discoveries, so we will give the entire short story of Herodotus: “Libya, it turns out, is surrounded by water all around, with the exception of the part where it borders on Asia; The first to prove this, as far as we know, was the Egyptian pharaoh Necho. Having suspended the digging of a canal from the Nile to the Arabian Gulf [Red Sea], he sent the Phoenicians on ships to the sea with orders to sail back through the Pillars of Hercules [Strait of Gibraltar] until they entered the North [Mediterranean] Sea and arrived in Egypt.

The Phoenicians sailed from the Erythraean [Red] Sea and entered the Southern Sea [Indian Ocean]. When autumn came, they landed on the shore and, no matter where they landed in Libya, sowed the land and waited for the harvest; After harvesting the grain, they sailed on. So two years passed in the voyage, and only in the third year they rounded the Pillars of Hercules and returned to Egypt. They also said, which I don’t believe, but someone else might believe, that while sailing around Libya, the Phoenicians had the sun on the right side. This is how Libya became known for the first time.”

12 Ammon(Siwa) is an oasis in the Libyan desert.

13 Vivienne de Saint-Martin(1802–1897) - French geographer, author of the famous work “Essay on General Geography” and other works.

14 Herodotus did not travel through Afghanistan and India; He collected information about these countries in Babylon.

15 Mussel was located south of the Caspian Sea. Under the Persian king Cyrus (c. 558–529 BC) it became part of Persia. The main city is Ecbatana.

16 Jason- in Greek mythology, the leader of the Argonauts' campaign for the Golden Fleece. According to one version of the myth, he died under the wreckage of the Argo ship; according to another, he committed suicide. The myth of the Argonauts, who undertook a voyage from Greece to Colchis (the eastern coast of the Black Sea), is a reflection of the history of early Greek colonization (VIII-VII centuries BC).

17 The ancient Greeks originally called the Black Sea Pont Aksinsky(inhospitable) due to strong and frequent storms. Subsequently, when the Greeks colonized the Black Sea shores, the sea was renamed Pont Euxine (hospitable).

18 Propontis(literally: “lying in front of Pontus”) – Sea of Marmara.

19 Thrace- a country located in the north of the Balkan Peninsula; its shores were washed by the Black Sea from the east, and the Aegean from the south.

20 Xenophon- Greek historian of the late 5th - first half of the 4th century BC, author of “Greek History”, “Anabasis” and other works.

21 Iberia- the ancient name of Spain.

22 Albion- the ancient name of the island of Great Britain, which translated means “White Island” (the name was given by Pytheas because of the chalk cliffs towering over the English Channel).

23 Karmania– region in the south of Iran; according to the ancients, it was inhabited by nomads who fed on fish (ichthyophages).

24 Arrian Flavius(c. 95–175 AD) was a Roman-period Greek writer, historian and geographer. The main works: “Anabasis of Alexander” (History of the campaigns of Alexander the Great) and “History of India”.

25 Mauritania- an area on the northwestern coast of Africa. At the beginning of the 1st century AD it became a Roman province.

3. Updating knowledge

Conclusion: travel - explore the world, expand knowledge, explore oceans, continents, planet Earth

Working with banner words

Phoenicians

Mediterranean Sea

Herodotus

Pytheas

North Sea

Atlantic Ocean

strait of Gibraltar

British Isles

How big is Libya?

interactively

Working with a map of Africa
Working with Herodotus' map

"Ancient Travelers"

Questions

Travelers

Phoenicians

Herodotus

Pytheas

Who were they?

Scientist, navigator

When did you make the trip?

Purpose of Travel?

Is Libya great?

Knowledge of the world

Result of the trip

Around Africa

Explored Scythia, Egypt

6. Primary consolidation:

1) Running the test

7. Homework

8. Lesson summary

9. Reflection

View document contents
“Lesson summary “Ancient Travellers””

Lesson summary “Ancient Travelers”

Target: create conditions for the formation of students’ ideas about the role of travelers in the study of the Earth

Planned results (tasks):

Personal:

1) developing an understanding of the role of travel in the accumulation of knowledge about the Earth;

2) respect for history and the way of life of other peoples;

3) ability to work with a map

Metasubject:

1) the ability to work with various sources of information, highlight the main points in the text, and structure the material;

2) convert text into tabular form;

Subject:

1) explain the results of outstanding geographical discoveries, the influence of travel on the development of geographical knowledge;

2) determine and show travel routes on the map;

3) formulate conclusions about the role of ancient travelers in the exploration of the Earth

Teaching methods: partially search, research

Forms of organization of students’ cognitive activity: collective, pair, group, individual

Means of education: world map, map of northeastern Europe; map of Libya, Africa (according to Herodotus); textbook, atlas, workbook with printed base, educational presentation

1. Organizational moment of the lesson

“The bell rang - class begins!

If you want to know a lot, put in the effort!

Everything will turn out to be a “5” if you have the desire!”

Good afternoon It’s very nice to see dear fifth-graders, dear colleagues, and everyone who likes to learn new things at today’s lesson! I really want to continue the conversation I started in the last lesson about distant countries, ancient sailors, unexplored islands, their fabulous riches, about everything that excites people’s imagination, makes them want to learn something unknown, go into the world of travel and discovery.

Now, I want to introduce you to anthem of geographers, biologists, and ecologists, people who love travel. Listen!

We will also mark travel destinations on the world map.

So let's start the lesson?

2. Setting the goals and objectives of the lesson

1) reading words - banners on the chalkboard

Libya, Tuamotu, Herodotus, Norway, British Isles, Strait of Gibraltar, Pytheas, amber, Egypt, Scythia, Red Sea, South America, Africa, Pacific Ocean, Kon-Tiki, Thor Heyerdahl, Eratosthenes, balsa, Phoenicians

What can you say about these words?

What do all these words have in common?

What kind of journeys did people make in ancient times?

Could people in ancient times travel around the world?

Would you like to know more about the voyages of ancient seafarers?

2) determining the topic of the lesson, recording the topic “Ancient Travelers” in a notebook

3. Updating knowledge

1) organizing a knowledge test on the topic “In the footsteps of Stone Age travelers”

Working with banner words at the board. Choose words to write a story about Thor Heyerdahl's travels.

Thor Heyerdahl's team proved with their journey across the Pacific Ocean on a balsa wood raft that the islands could be populated by Stone Age people.

2) Show South America, Pacific Ocean, Norway near the wall map

3) Frontal work with the class

The name of the traveler who proved the possibility of settling the Pacific Islands?

What was the name of the traveler's boat?

Why couldn't the explorers complete their journey? (p.38, 1 paragraph below)

Why are some islands in the Pacific Ocean uninhabited to this day?

4) listening to a story about T. Heyerdahl, showing on the map

Conclusion: travel - explore the world, expand knowledge, explore oceans, continents, planet Earth

4. Primary assimilation of new knowledge

Could people in ancient times travel around the world?

1) Organization of work on studying a new topic

Working with words - banners

Phoenicians

Mediterranean Sea

Herodotus

Pytheas

North Sea

Atlantic Ocean

strait of Gibraltar

British Isles

How big is Libya?

2) the formation of ideas about the earth’s surface, about the research of ancient travelers

3) practical work “Drawing geographical objects on a contour map” interactively

Working with a map of Africa

Working with Herodotus' map

Working with a map of northwestern Europe (on your own)

5. Initial check of understanding of new material

1) filling out the table when using a textbook

"Ancient Travelers"

Questions	Travelers
Questions	Phoenicians	Herodotus	Pytheas
Who were they?			Scientist, navigator
When did you make the trip?
Purpose of Travel?	Is Libya great?	Knowledge of the world	Find a trade route to the sun stone
Result of the trip	Around Africa	Explored Scythia, Egypt	Found a way from the Mediterranean to the North Sea

Conclusion: in ancient times people could make long journeys; technical capabilities (sailing ships, rowing ships) differed from the technical capabilities of Stone Age people

6. Primary consolidation:

1) Running the test

2) mutual verification, marking according to criteria

7. Homework

§ 8; create a crossword puzzle “Ancient travelers”

Take part in the All-Russian Geographical Dictation

8. Lesson summary

Working with words and banners

Can words be combined into groups?

Can you make sentences with words?

9. Reflection

Reflection on the activity “Ladder of Success”

Julian of Hungary,“Columbus of the East” is a Dominican monk who went in search of Great Hungary, the ancestral home of the Hungarians. By 895, the Hungarians had settled in Transylvania, but still remembered the distant lands of their ancestors, the steppe regions east of the Urals. In 1235, the Hungarian prince Bela equipped four Dominican monks on a journey. After a while, two Dominicans decided to return back, and Julian’s third companion died. The monk decided to continue his journey alone. As a result, having passed Constantinople, passing along the Kuban River, Julian reached Great Bulgaria, or Volga Bulgaria. The Dominican's return route ran through the Mordovian lands, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, Ryazan, Chernigov and Kyiv. In 1237, Julian of Hungary set out on a second journey, but already on the way, having reached the eastern lands of Rus', he learned about the attack on Great Bulgaria by Mongol troops. Descriptions of the monk's travels have become an important source in the study of the history of the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria.

Gunnbjorn Ulfson. Surely you have heard about Eirik the Red, the Scandinavian navigator who was the first to settle on the shores of Greenland. Thanks to this fact, many mistakenly think that he was the discoverer of the giant ice island. But no - Gunnbjorn Ulfson had been there before him, heading from his native Norway to Iceland, whose ship was thrown to new shores by a severe storm. Almost a century later, Eirik the Red followed in his footsteps - his path was not accidental, Eirik knew exactly where the island discovered by Ulfson was located.

Rabban Sauma, who is called the Chinese Marco Polo, became the only person from China to describe his journey through Europe. As a Nestorian monk, Rabban went on a long and dangerous pilgrimage to Jerusalem around 1278. Setting out from the Mongolian capital Khanbalik, i.e. present-day Beijing, he crossed all of Asia, but already approaching Persia, he learned about the war in the Holy Land and changed his route. In Persia, Rabban Sauma was warmly received, and a few years later, at the request of Arghun Khan, he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Rome. First, he visited Constantinople and King Andronicus II, then visited Rome, where he established international contacts with the cardinals, and eventually ended up in France, at the court of King Philip the Fair, proposing an alliance with Arghun Khan. On the way back, the Chinese monk was granted an audience with the newly elected Pope and met with the English King Edward I.

Guillaume de Roubuque, a Franciscan monk, after the end of the Seventh Crusade, was sent by King Louis of France to the southern steppes in order to establish diplomatic cooperation with the Mongols. From Jerusalem, Guillaume de Rubuk reached Constantinople, from there to Sudak and moved towards the Sea of Azov. As a result, Rubuk crossed the Volga, then the Ural River and eventually ended up in the capital of the Mongol Empire, the city of Karakorum. The audiences of the Great Khan did not produce any special diplomatic results: the Khan invited the King of France to swear allegiance to the Mongols, but the time spent in overseas countries was not in vain. Guillaume de Rubuc described his travels in detail and with his characteristic humor, telling the inhabitants of medieval Europe about the distant eastern peoples and their lives. He was especially impressed by the religious tolerance of the Mongols, which was unusual for Europe: in the city of Karakorum, pagan and Buddhist temples, a mosque, and a Christian Nestorian church coexisted peacefully.

Afanasy Nikitin, Tver merchant, in 1466, went on a commercial voyage, which turned into incredible adventures for him. Thanks to his adventurism, Afanasy Nikitin went down in history as one of the greatest travelers, leaving behind the heartfelt notes “Walking across Three Seas.” As soon as he left his native Tver, Afanasy Nikitin's merchant ships were plundered by the Astrakhan Tatars, but this did not stop the merchant, and he continued on his way - first reaching Derbent, Baku, then to Persia and from there to India. In his notes, he colorfully described the customs, morals, political and religious structure of Indian lands. In 1472, Afanasy Nikitin went to his homeland, but never reached Tver, dying near Smolensk. Afanasy Nikitin became the first European to travel all the way to India.

Chen Chen and Li Da- Chinese travelers who made a dangerous expedition across Central Asia. Li Da was an experienced traveler, but he did not keep travel notes and therefore was not as famous as Chen Chen. Two eunuchs went on a diplomatic journey on behalf of the Yongle Emperor in 1414. They had to cross the desert for 50 days and climb along the Tien Shan mountains. After spending 269 days on the road, they reached the city of Herat (which is located on the territory of modern Afghanistan), presented gifts to the Sultan and returned home.

Odorico Pordenone- Franciscan monk who visited India, Sumatra and China at the beginning of the 14th century. The Franciscan monks sought to increase their presence in the countries of East Asia, for which they sent missionaries there. Odorico Pordenone, leaving his native monastery in Udine, proceeded first to Venice, then to Constantinople, and from there to Persia and India. The Franciscan monk traveled extensively in India and China, visited the territory of modern Indonesia, reaching the island of Java, lived in Beijing for several years, and then returned home, passing Lhasa. He died already in the monastery in Udine, but before his death he managed to dictate impressions of his travels, rich in details. His memories formed the basis of the famous book “The Adventures of Sir John Mandeville,” which was widely read in medieval Europe.

Naddod and Gardar- Vikings who discovered Iceland. Naddod landed off the coast of Iceland in the 9th century: he was on his way to the Faroe Islands, but a storm led him to a new land. Having examined the surroundings and finding no signs of human life there, he went home. The next to set foot on Iceland was the Swedish Viking Gardar - he walked around the island along the coast on his ship. Naddod named the island “Snow Land”, and Iceland (i.e. “land of ice”) owes its present name to the third Viking, Floki Vilgerdarson, who reached this harsh and beautiful land.

Benjamin of Tudela- rabbi from the city of Tudela (Kingdom of Navarre, now the Spanish province of Navarre). The path of Benjamin of Tudela was not as grandiose as that of Afanasy Nikitin, but his notes became an invaluable source of information about the history and life of Jews in Byzantium. Benjamin of Tudela left his hometown for Spain in 1160, passing through Barcelona and traveling through southern France. Then he arrived in Rome, from where, after a while, he moved to Constantinople. From Byzantium the rabbi proceeded to the Holy Land, and from there to Damascus and Baghdad, and traveled around Arabia and Egypt.

Ibn Battuta famous not only for his wanderings. If his other “colleagues” set off on a trade, religious or diplomatic mission, the Berber traveler was called to follow him by the muse of distant travels - he traveled 120,700 km solely for the love of tourism. Ibn Battuta was born in 1304 in the Moroccan city of Tangier into the family of a sheikh. The first point on Ibn Battuta’s personal map was Mecca, where he arrived while moving overland along the coast of Africa. Instead of returning home, he continued traveling through the Middle East and East Africa. Having reached Tanzania and finding himself without funds, he ventured to travel to India: it was rumored that the Sultan in Delhi was incredibly generous. The rumors did not disappoint - the Sultan provided Ibn Battuta with generous gifts and sent him to China for diplomatic purposes. However, along the way he was plundered and, fearing the Sultan’s wrath and not daring to return to Delhi, Ibn Battuta was forced to hide in the Maldives, simultaneously visiting Sri Lanka, Bengal and Sumatra. He reached China only in 1345, from where he headed towards home. But, of course, he could not sit at home - Ibn Battuta made a short trip to Spain (at that time the territory of modern Andalusia belonged to the Moors and was called Al-Andalus), then went to Mali, for which he needed to cross the Sahara, and in 1354 settled in the city Fez, where he dictated all the details of his incredible adventures.

G annon (505). - Herodotus (484). - Pytheas (340). – Eudoxus (146). – Stra bond (63). Hanno of Carthage. – Happy Islands (Canary Islands), Evening Horn, Southern Horn, Rio de Oro Bay. – Herodotus visits Egypt, Libya, Ethy opium, Phenicia, Arabia, Babylonia, Persia, Media, Colchis, Caspian Sea Sea, Scythia and Thrace. - Pytheas explores the shores of Iberia and Celtica, the English Channel, acute Albion, Orcadian (Orkney) Islands, land of Thule. – Nearchus travels around the Asian coast from the Indus to the Persian Gulf. – Eudoxus gets acquainted with the western coast of Africa. – Strabo put marches through inner Asia, Egypt, Greece and Italy.

The first traveler who is mentioned in historical sources was Hanno, sent by the Carthaginian Carthage was founded by the Phoenicians around 850 BC on the northern coast of Africa, in the Gulf of Tunis. Senate for the colonization of new territories on the west coast of Africa. The report of this expedition was written in Punic The Romans called the Carthaginians Punes; hence the name of the language - Punic language and translated into Greek; it is known as “Hanno’s Sea Voyage Around the World.” What era did this explorer live in? Historians have different opinions. But the most reliable version is considered to be the one according to which his visit to the African shores dates back to 505 BC. The exact date of Hanno's expedition cannot be determined. Modern scientists attribute it to the V or VI Dec. BC. The description of this voyage has come to us in the form of an “adventure novel,” in which reliable facts are intertwined with fictional ones. However, the geographical description of the western coast of Africa and the story of steppe fires within the country leave no doubt about the authenticity of the journey, which was subsequently overgrown with various fables. Hanno was the first navigator to visit the west coast of Africa. He sailed along this coast from the Strait of Gibraltar to the south for about 4,500 kilometers. Nineteen centuries later, it took Portuguese navigators fifty years to explore the coastline that Hanno had bypassed.

Hanno left Carthage at the head of a fleet of sixty galleys, each with fifty oarsmen; the ships carried thirty thousand people and supplies for a long journey. The settlers - they can be called that - had to settle in new cities. Carthaginians

were going to establish new settlements on the western coast of Libya, in other words, Africa.

The fleet safely passed the Pillars of Hercules The Pillars of Hercules are two mountains on the European and African shores of the Strait of Gibraltar, allegedly erected by the mythical hero Hercules. According to the ancient Greeks, the Pillars of Hercules were the western edge of the known world- the rocks of Gibraltar and Ceuta, towering above the strait, and ventured south into the Atlantic Ocean. Two days later, Hanno stopped and founded the city of Thimiatherium in this place. Continuing his voyage, he then rounded Cape Solosit, entered into trade relations with local residents and headed further to the mouth of a large African river, on the banks of which lived a tribe of nomadic shepherds. Having concluded a friendly alliance with them, the Carthaginian navigator continued to move south, along the deserted shores of the Sahara; then he reached the island of Kern, which, judging by the description, is located at the same distance from the Pillars of Hercules as the Pillars of Hercules are from Carthage. What island was this? Without a doubt, one of the islands belonging to the Happy (now Canary) group.

The journey continued, and soon Hanno arrived at the mouth of the Hreta River, Probably the Senegal River forming a wide bay. When the Carthaginians sailed up the river, the local residents - blacks - greeted them with a hail of stones.

After another five days, Hanno and his companions rounded the cape and

entered the bay, which they called "Evening Horn". There, the traveler says, he heard the sounds of flutes, the roar of cymbals, tambourines Cymbals are an ancient musical instrument in the form of copper cymbals. Tambourine is a percussion musical instrument that resembles a tambourine. and the hum of countless voices. “The oracles accompanying the Carthaginian expedition advised to flee this terrible land.” They were obeyed, and the fleet continued sailing to lower latitudes.

Hanno then reached a bay called the Southern Horn. Geographers believe that this bay was probably the mouth of the Rio de Oro River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean near the Tropic of Cancer. "Southern Horn" - now Sherborough Bay in the British colony of Sierra Leone, located on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea

After the Carthaginian navigator, the most famous of the ancient travelers in historical times was the Greek scientist Herodotus, nicknamed the “father of history.” For our purpose we will separate the traveler from the historian and follow him to the countries he visited.

Herodotus was born around 484 BC Biographical information about Herodotus is extremely scarce. The exact years of his life are unknown; he is believed to have been born around 484 BC and died in 424 or 426 BC. Herodotus is the author of the first large historical work that has come down to us, the famous “History,” in which he included rich geographical material collected during his long travels. It is impossible to say exactly which countries Herodotus visited during his travels. There is no doubt that he visited Egypt and the northern coast of the Black Sea. In the east it probably reached Babylon. Herodotus also speaks of a journey to India, but this description has no historical basis in the Asian Minor city of Halicarnassus. He came from a wealthy and noble family with extensive trade connections, which may have contributed to the development of the instincts of a traveler and explorer awakened in the boy.

In that era, there was no consensus regarding the shape of the earth. The Pythagorean school had already begun to spread the doctrine that the earth was spherical. But Herodotus did not take any part in these disputes that worried the scientists of his time. In his early youth, he left his homeland with the intention of carefully studying distant countries, about which very scanty and contradictory information was received.

“When the Nile floods,” says Herodotus, “nothing is visible except cities; they appear to be built on top of water and resemble the islands of the Aegean Sea.”

Herodotus talks about the religious rites of the Egyptians, how they make sacrifices to their gods and how they solemnly celebrate holidays in honor of the goddess Isis in the city of Busiris, the ruins of which are still visible today. Herodotus also reports how the Egyptians revered wild and domestic animals, considering them sacred, and gave them funeral honors. With the precision of a true naturalist, he describes the Nile crocodile and its habits; describes the methods by which crocodiles are caught. We find out what other animals there are and what the Egyptian hippopotamus, ibis bird, and various snakes are like. Herodotus depicts the home life of the Egyptians, their customs, games, and talks about the art of embalming the dead, which the Egyptians mastered to perfection. Next, he reports what structures were erected under Pharaoh Cheops: a labyrinth built near Lake Merisa, the remains of which were discovered in 1799; Lake Meris, created by human hands, and two pyramids that rose above the surface of its waters; Herodotus speaks with surprise about the temples erected in Memphis, about the famous colossus made of solid stone, over the transportation of which from Elephantine Elephantine (Ivory) Island is located on the Nile River, at the first rapids, on the border of Egypt and Sudan Two thousand people worked in Sais for three years.

Having carefully studied Egypt, Herodotus headed to other countries of Libya, that is, Africa, but the young traveler did not even imagine that Africa extended far to the south beyond the Tropic of Cancer; he believed that the Phoenicians could go around this continent and return to Egypt through the Strait of Gibraltar. Here the author is referring to the story Herodotus heard in Egypt about the journey of Phoenician sailors around Africa, undertaken by order of the Egyptian pharaoh Necho around 600 BC. This enterprise has no equal in the history of geographical discoveries, so we will give the entire short story of Herodotus: “Libya, it turns out, is surrounded by water all around, with the exception of the part where it borders on Asia; The first to prove this, as far as we know, was the Egyptian pharaoh Necho. Having suspended the digging of a canal from the Nile to the Arabian Gulf [Red Sea], he sent the Phoenicians on ships to the sea with orders to sail back through the Pillars of Hercules [Strait of Gibraltar] until they entered the North [Mediterranean] Sea and arrived in Egypt. The Phoenicians sailed from the Erythraean [Red] Sea and entered the Southern Sea [Indian Ocean]. When autumn came, they landed on the shore and, no matter where they landed in Libya, sowed the land and waited for the harvest; After harvesting the grain, they sailed on. So two years passed in the voyage, and only in the third year they rounded the Pillars of Hercules and returned to Egypt. They also said, which I don’t believe, but someone else might believe, that while sailing around Libya, the Phoenicians had the sun on the right side. This is how Libya became known for the first time."

Listing the peoples living in Libya, Herodotus mentions the shepherd tribes wandering along the coast of Africa, and also names the Ammonians, who live in the interior of the country, in places abounding in wild beasts. The Ammonians built the famous temple of Zeus of Ammon, the ruins of which were discovered in the northeast of the Libyan Desert, five hundred kilometers from the city of Cairo. Ammon (Siwa) – an oasis in the Libyan Desert He also describes in detail the customs and morals of the Libyans and reports what animals are found in this country: snakes of terrible size, lions, elephants, horned donkeys (probably rhinoceroses), baboon monkeys - “headless animals with eyes on their chests”, foxes , hyenas, porcupines, wild sheep, panthers, etc.

Following this, Herodotus descends to the south - to Arabia, a country he calls Asian Ethiopia, that is, to that part of southern Arabia, which he considers the last inhabited land. The Arabs living on the Arabian Peninsula, according to him, are strictly religious people. In their country valuable plants grow in abundance, from which frankincense and myrrh are obtained. The traveler provides interesting details about how fragrant substances are extracted from these plants.

leprosy serves as proof for them that “the unfortunate one has sinned against the Sun.”

India of Herodotus, according to Vivien de Saint-Martin, Vivien de Saint-Martin (1802-1897) – French geographer, author of the famous work “Essay on General Geography” and other works limited to the countries irrigated by the five tributaries of the present Panjnad, and to the territory of Afghanistan. The young traveler headed there, leaving the Persian kingdom. Herodotus did not travel through Afghanistan and India; he collected information about these countries in Babylon The Indians, in his opinion, are the most numerous of the known peoples. Some of them lead a sedentary lifestyle, others are constantly nomadic. The tribes living in the east of this country, as Herodotus claims, not only kill the sick and old people, but allegedly even eat them. The tribes living in the north are distinguished by their courage and skill in crafts. Their land is rich in golden sand.

Herodotus believes that India is the last inhabited country in the East. It maintains the same fertile climate at all times of the year as in Greece, located on the opposite end of the earth.

Then the tireless Herodotus went to Media, Media was located south of the Caspian Sea. Under the Persian king Cyrus (c. 558-529 BC) it became part of Persia. Main city: Ecbatana where he compiled the history of the Medes, the first people to overthrow the yoke of the Assyrians. The Medes founded the huge city of Ecbatana (Hamadan), which was surrounded by seven rows of walls. Having crossed the mountains that separated Media from Colchis, the Greek traveler entered the country glorified by the exploits of Jason, Jason - in Greek mythology, the leader of the Argonauts' campaign for the Golden Fleece. According to one version of the myth, he died under the wreckage of the Argo ship; according to another, he committed suicide. The myth of the Argonauts who sailed from Greece to Colchis (the eastern coast of the Black Sea) is a reflection of the history of early Greek colonization (VIII-VII centuries BC) and studied with his characteristic conscientiousness its morals and customs.

Then the traveler ends up in Scythia. Scythians - according to Herodotus' definition - are various tribes inhabiting the vast space between the Danube and Don, that is, a significant part of European Russia. Herodotus calls the tribe of “princely Scythians” who occupied the banks of the Tanais (Don) river the most numerous and powerful. In addition, Herodotus mentions the tribes of Scythian nomads and Scythian farmers. Although Herodotus lists various Scythian tribes, it is not known whether he personally visited the countries located north of Pontus Euxine. The Black Sea was originally called by the ancient Greeks Pontus Aksinsky (inhospitable) due to strong and frequent storms. Subsequently, when the Greeks colonized the Black Sea shores, the sea was renamed Pont Euxine (hospitable) He describes in detail the customs of these tribes and comes into sincere delight from the Pontus Euxine - this “hospitable sea”. Herodotus determines the size of the Black Sea, Bosphorus, Propontis Propontis (literally: “lying before Pontus”) – Sea of Marmara and the Sea of Azov, and its definitions are almost correct. He lists the large rivers flowing into the Black Sea: Istr, or Danube; Borysthenes, or Dnieper; Tanais, or Don.

From Scythia, Herodotus arrived in Thrace. There he learned about the Hets - the most courageous people who inhabited this country. Thrace is a country located in the north of the Balkan Peninsula; its shores were washed by the Black Sea from the east, and the Aegean from the south He then traveled to Greece, where he wanted to collect the missing information for his history. He visited areas where the main events of the Greco-Persian wars took place, including the Passage of Thermopylae, the Field of Marathon and Plataea. He then returned to Asia Minor and traveled around its coast, exploring the numerous colonies founded there by the Greeks.

After Herodotus, we will step a century and a half later, mentioning a doctor named Ctesias, a contemporary of Xenophon. Xenophon - Greek historian of the late 5th - first half of the 4th century BC, author of "Greek History", "Anabasis" and other works Ctesias wrote an account of his journey through India, although there is no reliable information that he actually completed it.

Adhering to the chronological order, let us now move on to Pytheas from Massilia - traveler, geographer and astronomer, one of the most learned men of his time. In 340 BC, Pytheas ventured to sail the Atlantic Ocean on a single ship. Instead of following the coast of Africa to the south, as his Carthaginian predecessors usually did, Pytheas went north, where he began exploring the shores of the Iberian Peninsula Iberia is the ancient name of Spain and the coast of the country of the Celts, right up to the granite Cape of Finisterre. Then Pytheas entered the English Channel and landed on the island of Albion. Albion is the ancient name of the island of Great Britain, which means “White Island” (the name was given by Pytheas because of the chalk cliffs towering over the English Channel) He met the inhabitants of this island, who, according to him, were distinguished by good nature, honesty, moderation and ingenuity. They traded in tin, for which traders from distant countries came here.

The remarkable traveler Pytheas was no less a remarkable scientist; He was the first to prove the influence of the moon on the ebb and flow of the sea and noticed that the North Star does not occupy a point in celestial space that is located above the earth's pole, which was subsequently confirmed by science.

A few years after Pytheas, around 326 BC, another Greek traveler, Nearchus from the island of Crete, became famous for his research. As commander of the fleet of Alexander the Great, he was ordered to travel around the entire coast of Asia from the Indus to the Euphrates.

he sailed to the island of Krokala, which lies near the modern Karantian Bay. The fleet, destroyed by storms, took refuge in a natural harbor, which Nearchus was forced to strengthen “to protect against the attack of savages.”

Twenty-four days later, the naval commander of Alexander the Great again raised the sails and set off to sea. Violent storms forced him to make frequent stops at various places along the coast and defend himself from attacks by the Arabites, whom Eastern historians characterized as “a barbarian people wearing long hair, growing beards and resembling fauns or bears.”

Almost at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, the fleet encountered a large herd of whales. The frightened sailors wanted to turn the galleys

backwards, but Nearchus boldly went forward on his ship, towards the sea monsters, which he managed to disperse.

Having reached Karmania, Karmaniya is a region in southern Iraq; according to the ancients, it was inhabited by nomads who fed on fish (ichthyophages) the ships deviated to the northwest. The banks here were fertile; Everywhere there were grain fields, vast pastures, and fruit trees. Nearchus dropped anchor at Badis, present-day Iask. Then, having rounded Cape Macet or Mussendon, the sailors found themselves at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, to which Nearchus, like the Arab geographers, gives the unusual name of the Red Sea.

In the harbor of Harmosia (Ormuz), Nearchus learned that Alexander's army was five days' journey away. Having landed on the shore, he hastened to join the conqueror. Alexander,

Having not received any news about his fleet for twenty-one weeks, he no longer hoped to see it. One can imagine the commander’s joy when Nearchus, emaciated beyond recognition, appeared before him safe and sound! To celebrate his return, Alexander ordered gymnastic games to be held and abundant sacrifices to be made to the gods. Nearchus then went again to Harmosia, where he left his fleet to sail from there to the mouth of the Euphrates.

After several days of sailing, Nearchus arrived at the mouth of the Endiana River, then reached the river flowing from the large, fish-infested lake Kataderbis and finally dropped anchor near the Babylonian village of Degela, not far from the mouth of the Euphrates, thus sailing along the entire Persian coast. Here Nearchus again united with the army of Alexander the Great, who generously rewarded him and appointed him commander of his entire fleet. Alexander also wanted to explore the Arab coast of the Persian Gulf, right up to the Red Sea, and establish a sea route from Persia and Babylon to Egypt, but death prevented him from carrying out this plan.

Nearchus compiled a description of his journey, which, unfortunately, has not survived. A detailed account of his voyages is contained in the book of the Greek historian Flavius Arrian Arrian Flavius (c. 95-175 AD) was a Greek writer of the Roman period, historian and geographer. Main works: “Anabasis of Alexander” (History of the campaigns of Alexander the Great) and “History of India”"History of India", which has come down to us in fragments.

Nearchus is believed to have been killed at the Battle of Ipsus. He left behind the glory of a skilled navigator, and his journey constitutes an important event in the history of navigation.

Now we should also mention the bold enterprise of the Greek geographer Eudoxus, who lived in the 2nd century BC. Having visited Egypt and the shores of India, this brave traveler had the intention of circumnavigating Africa, which was actually accomplished only sixteen centuries later by the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama.

Eudoxus hired a large ship and two longboats and set sail through the unfamiliar waters of the Atlantic Ocean. How far did he take his ships? It's difficult to determine. Be that as it may, having met the natives, whom he mistook for Ethiopians, he returned to Mauritania, Mauritania is a region on the northwestern coast of Africa. Became a Roman province at the beginning of the 1st century AD and from there he crossed to Iberia and began making preparations for a new extensive journey around Africa. Was this journey made? Doubtful. It must be said that this Eudoxus, an undoubtedly brave man, does not deserve much trust. In any case, scientists do not take him seriously.

Among the ancient travelers it remains for us to mention the names of Caesar and Strabo. Julius Caesar, Caesar Julius (full name Gaius Julius Caesar) - Roman emperor, one of the most important statesmen of ancient Rome, politician, commander, writer born in 100 BC, was primarily a conqueror and did not set out to explore new countries. Let us only recall that in 58 BC he began to conquer Gaul and 10 years later brought his legions to the shores of Great Britain, which was inhabited by peoples of Germanic origin.

Regarding Strabo, born in Cappadocia Cappadocia is the name of an area located in the southeastern part of the Asia Minor peninsula around 63 AD, he is known more as a geographer than as a traveler. However, he traveled through Asia Minor, Egypt, Greece, Italy and lived for a long time in Rome, where he died in the last years of the reign of Tiberius. Strabo left a Geography divided into seventeen books, most of which have survived to this day. This work, together with the works of Ptolemy, constitutes the most important monument of ancient Greek geography.

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