What was Pytheas known for?

What was Pytheas known for?

Pytheas, (flourished 300 bc, Massalia, Gaul), navigator, geographer, astronomer, and the first Greek to visit and describe the British Isles and the Atlantic coast of Europe. Though his principal work, On the Ocean, is lost, something is known of his ventures through the Greek historian Polybius (c.

What did ancient Greek geographers call Antarctica?

This hypothetical region, which had never been seen much less mapped, even had names: The term “Antarctic,” coined by Greek geographer Marinus of Tyre back in the second century, referred to an imagined area opposite the Arctic Circle; and in the fifth century, the Roman scholar Macrobius included a southern territory …

What country did Pytheas sail for?

From Cornwall, Pytheas sailed north through the Irish Sea between Britain and Ireland all the way to the northern tip of Scotland, probably going as far as the Orkney Islands. Along the way, he stopped and traveled for short distances inland and described the customs of the inhabitants.

What did pytheas explore?

Pytheas sailed northward with the intent of locating the Arctic Circle and exploring the “frigid zone” to the north of it at the extreme of the Earth. He did not know the latitude of the circle in degrees.

When did pytheas visit Britain?

Pytheas of Massalia explored the shores of Britain and Scandinavia. Pytheas is known to have traveled around the entire island of Britain in the mid 4th century BC; however, it is still unclear exactly how much time it took to do this, and how much of his journey was spent on the land itself versus how much was by sail …

Why is the Arctic named the Arctic?

The Arctic is named after the Greek word for bear. The bear is in Greek άρκτος, or kktos, which is also a word in the constellations of the Big Bear (in Greek Μεγάλη Άρκτος) and the Little Bear (in Greek Μικρή Άρκτος), which appear in the northern starry sky. Black bear (Ursus americanus) wanders in Alaska.

What was pytheas trade routes?

Pytheas must have crossed Gaul about 330 BC by the trade route following the Rhone and the Loire to the Atlantic coast. From a Breton port he crossed to Cornwall and sailed round Britain.

Why was the Pythia always a woman?

The Pythia’s female biological sex might have been a nod to the ancient past in that the oracles used to be under the guidance of Gaia or Themis. Plutarch described that it was believed that the oracle used to belong to Earth but that she “became inferior to the god [Apollo] and lost her august position.”

What did the Greek explorer Pytheas find in the Arctic Ocean?

Ancient Greek explorer Pytheas may have discovered Britain and even the Arctic Ocean and Iceland. According to the most widely accepted historical theory, all of the information about Pytheas’ journey was taken from his travelogue, which was probably called On the Ocean ( Peri tou Okeanou ). According to the experts,…

How long did Pytheas sail from the British Isles?

In his accounts, the Greek navigator refers to sailing from the British Isles for six day after which he reached an ocean of slush ice and fog so thick that he was forced to return. Pytheas original account of his voyage has not survived. There are only fragments and references and paraphrases in ancient Greek and Latin literature.

Who was the first explorer of the Arctic?

If assumptions are correct, Pytheas could be considered the first Arctic explorer. On the way back, Pytrheas probably passed along the coast of ancient Germany, and allegedly met with the Gutones–a tribe that lived around a big estuary.

When did Pytheas go to the Arctic Circle?

Pytheas was a contemporary of Aristotle and Alexander the Great. He reached the Arctic Circle in his search for new sources of tin (essential for the making of bronze) and amber (usually sourced from the German coast) around 330 to 325 BC.