A map of the Indian Ocean in Antiquity based on the Periplus of the Erythrean Sea.

A map of the Indian Ocean in Antiquity based on the Periplus of the Erythrean Sea.

The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea or Periplus of the Red Sea (Latin: Periplus Maris Erythraei) is a Greco-Roman periplus, written in Greek, describing navigation and trading opportunities from Roman Egyptian ports like Berenice along the coast of the Red Sea, and others along Northeast Africa and the Indian subcontinent. The text has been ascribed to different dates between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, but a mid-1st century date is now the most commonly accepted. Although the author is unknown, it is clearly a firsthand description by someone familiar with the area and is nearly unique in providing accurate insights into what the ancient world knew about the lands around the Indian Ocean. Although Erythraean Sea literally means 'Red Sea', to the Greeks it included the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf.

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4600 x 3858 px | 50.8 MB

38.9 x 32.7 cm | 15.3 x 12.9 in (300 dpi)