The Roman Period
After the dead of Alexander the Great (see Greek Explorers),
his empire was divided among his generals. In the period that followed, Alexandria
in Egypt would become the center of geography and science. An important Greek-Egyptian
explorer, although little is known about him, is Hippalus. He probably lived around
45 BC, and discovered a new route to India: Instead of following the Arabian coast,
as had been usual upto then, he went from the Red Sea to India over open sea.
This route was shorter and had less risk of Arabian pirates, but its real important
was that in this way, the monsoons, which on the Indian Ocean blow from southwest
to northeast in Summer and from northeast to southwest in Winter, could be used
to make the crossing a lot faster than before. Others soon followed his example,
and soon it became a major sea route. The Greek merchants sailed even further,
crossing the Bay of Bengal to southeast Asia, and they may well have reached China
early in the second century AD. The geographic knowledge of this time was written
down by the first century Alexandrinian astronomer and geographer Ptolemy.
By that time, Egypt had lost its independence, and had become part of the Roman Empire. Interestingly, the Romans are not known as an important exploring nation. There are some Roman explorers of note,
but for the most important voyages in the period, those that connected the Mediterranean region with Asia, others were responsible. As we saw before, those were in particular the Greeks from Egypt for the sea route; for the land route, the Chinese were responsible.
The name to be remembered in this respect is that of Zhang Xian (Chang Ch'ien). He was sent out to the west to the Yüeh Chi, to ask for their help in the fighting against the Hsiung-nu (known in the west as the Huns). However, he was caught by the Hsiung-nu, and kept prisoner for ten years before he was able to escape. He travelled on to the Yüeh Chi, but those were not interested in a military alliance. During his return voyage, he was caught by the Hsiung-nu again, but this time he was able to escape more quickly. Later he made a second voyage to the west, buying horses in Fergana. His voyages laid the basis for the silk road, by which much trade would be conducted between China and the Roman Empire. Strangely, although the two empires knew of each other's existence, no official envoy seems to have travelled either way. The Chinese have tried, but got no further than Mesopotamia. One explanation might be that a large part of the route went through the territory of the Parthians, who were at war with the Romans.
Related subjects
What came before:
What followed:
External links
The explorers
Aelius Gallus (Rome)
25 BC: Undertakes a failed attempt to conquer Yemen.
Cosmas Indicopleustes (Greece)
early 6th century: Trades from Egypt with Ethiopia, Persia, India and Ceylon.
later (ca. 540): Becomes a monk, and writes his Christian topography, in which he argues for a flat world.
Eudoxus (Greece)
ca. 120 BC: In Egyptian service, finds the sea route to India.
ca. 117: Again travels to India.
ca. 108: Attempts to circumnavigate Africa, but gets no further than Morocco.
ca. 105: Undertakes a second attempt to circumnavigate Africa, and disappears.
Hippalus (Greece/Egypt)
ca. 45 BC: Uses the monsoon winds in a voyage to India; believed by some to be the first to have done so.
Gaius Julius Caesar (Rome, 100-44 BC)
61-47: Leads military operations in Gaul, Spain, Britain and Armenia.
Athena Review: Caesar's Campaigns in Gaul - The Landings of Caesar in Britain
Julius Caesar: De bello gallico
Kan Ying (China)
97: Set out to travel to the Roman Empire, reaches Mesopotamia.
Nero (Rome, 37-68)
66: Sends an expedition up the Nile, which reaches Sudan.
Claudius Ptolemaeus (also known as Ptolemy, 90?-168?)
Important astronomer and geographer. His Geography was the main source of information for early-Renaissance cartographers.
Bill Thayer: Ptolemy's Geography: 19 Web links
Library of Congress: Ptolemy's Geography
Zhang Qian (also known as Chang Ch'ien, China, ?-107 BC)
138-126: Travels west from China to try to convince the Yüeh-chi to form an alliance against the Hsiung-nu (Huns). Spends most of this time as a prisoner of the Huns. Reaches the Yüeh-chi, but fails to convince them.
119-115: Makes a second voyage to Central Asia, reaching Fergana. Lays the foundations of Chinese trade with Central Asia, and thus of the Silk Road.
John Hood: Chang Ch'ien's far-reaching diplomacy laid the groundwork for Han conquest - and the link between East and West
Silkroad Foundation: Han Emperor Wu-ti's Interest in Central Asia and Chang Chien's Expeditions