Introduction

1. Great travelers of antiquity

1.1 Travelers of Ancient Greece

1.1 Herodotus

1.3 Eudoxus

1.4 Alexander the Great

1.5 Strabo

1.2 Travelers of Ancient Rome

1.2.1 Aeneas (mythology)

2.2 Apostle Paul

2.3 Pausanias

2.4 Gippal

Conclusion

Introduction

People have traveled at all times. As humanity developed, it discovered new lands, improved means of transportation. There is practically no culture in whose history the history of travel would not be intertwined.

Without travel it is impossible to imagine the development of human civilization. Thanks to travel, there was an opportunity to make contact with other peoples, to overcome the isolation of their culture. In other words, travel is the main means of dissemination and interpenetration of cultures.

Among scientists who study the cultures of different peoples, there are those who believe that the similarity of cultures on different continents associated with the travels of ancient people. These scholars believe that the history of world culture depends on "man traveling".

That is why the study of the history of ancient travels is of great importance.

The aim of this work is to study the most famous travelers ancient era.

Within the framework of the goal, the following tasks are set:

.Study material on the research topic

.Open the research topic based on the studied material.

1.Great travelers of antiquity

In its most general sense, the word "antique" means "ancient". But there is also a narrower and at the same time more widely accepted meaning: when they talk about antiquity, they mean belonging to ancient Greek or Roman culture (civilization), which have a long history: from the first centuries of the 1st millennium BC. and up to the 5th century AD. The geographical knowledge of the Greeks and Romans was at a very high level. For modern historians of geography, it is also extremely important that, among all ancient civilizations, ancient civilizations offer the most complete set of sources by which one can judge geographical knowledge as a real system, and not just a set of scattered information.

1.1 Travelers of Ancient Greece

The era of antiquity includes several periods: the period of the archaic (Cretan-Mycenaean culture); the period of the beginning of the development of the civilization of Ancient Greece; Hellenistic period (the heyday and decline of the civilization of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome). The very word "antiquity" in Latin means "antiquity", "old times".

The Minoan culture, which arose in the middle of the 3rd millennium BC on the island of Crete, reached its peak by the 17th - 16th centuries. BC. At this time, the Cretan fleet dominated the Eastern Mediterranean. XIV - XII centuries. BC. were the heyday of the Mycenaean culture. From Egyptian sources it is known that the Achaeans raided Egypt, Asia Minor and other countries. The reason for the death of the Mycenaean culture was the Dorian tribes who came from the north of the Balkan Peninsula. They laid the foundations of ancient Greek civilization. And the Creto-Mycenaean culture disappeared. Only fragments of it have survived to this day.

From the 12th century BC. we can talk about the origin of the civilization of Ancient Greece. Moreover, from the XII to VIII centuries. BC historians call the "dark period" of the development of this era. During this time, all memories of the Cretan-Mycenaean culture were erased. Neither Thucydite, nor Herodotus, nor Aristotle even mention it in their writings. And only Homer in the 7th century. BC. in his poems he vaguely hinted at some mysterious culture of the past. Homer described the history of the Trojan War, which was fought in the XII century. BC. Thanks to the discoveries of Heinrich Schliemann and Arthur Evans, mankind was surprised to discover that the siege of Ilion by the Achaean army led by the Mycenaean king Agamemnon was not the fruit of Homeric fiction, but a real historical fact.

Greek scientists call the "father of geography" Homer, who lived in the IX-VIII centuries. BC.

According to tradition, the Spartan king Lycurgus was the first to introduce the Greeks to the poems of Homer. Their recording and final editing were made in Athens by a special commission appointed by the tyrant Peisistratus (6th century BC). Their obligatory popular reading was also established during the festivities in honor of the goddess Athena - Panathenay. These works were included in all school programs of numerous ancient Greek policies: city-states. Plato even expressed the following thought: "Homer brought up the whole of Greece." Dante Alighieri called Homer "the king of poets". The artistic culture of all subsequent eras, from antiquity to the present, is saturated with images of Homeric heroes.

"Iliad" is dedicated to the Trojan War (c. 1200 BC), and "Odyssey" tells about the return to his homeland after the end of this war, King Odysseus of Ithaca.

There is every reason to believe that the Odyssey describes a real journey of sailors in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

There are a lot of similarities in the wanderings of the Argonauts and Odysseus. They describe the well-known, but not yet fully studied ecumene, the outskirts of which are "inhabited" by all kinds of monsters and wizards. Therefore, only such heroes as Jason, Odysseus can visit there (even visiting Hades, like the Argonaut Orpheus or Odysseus) and return to their homeland. Travels of this rank were perceived by the Greeks as heroic deeds.

In ancient Greece, travel reached its greatest upsurge in the 5th - 4th centuries. BC. The same period is the heyday of philosophy, art, mathematics, astronomy, cosmology and other sciences. The centers of civilization were the cities of Asia Minor - Miletus, Ephesus and Colophon. But the center of attraction was Athens.

With the aim of understanding the world, sages, natural philosophers and poets traveled to all corners of the world. Almost all major ancient Greek philosophers carried out distant wanderings. The sage and philosopher Thales of Miletus studied in Egypt for more than twenty years. The philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, the legislator Solon, visited the Nile Valley in order to gain knowledge. The philosopher Plato, having made a long journey, upon returning home, founded a philosophical school. Xenophanes of Colophon was an itinerant rhapsodist.

But not only knowledge attracted travelers to these countries. They were attracted by the grandiose ancient monuments of architecture. So ancient that Pythagoras, in comparison with them, is perceived as our contemporary. When visiting Egyptian monuments, travelers often left short notes on their walls - "graffiti", which means "scratched" in Italian. Only at the tombs of the pharaohs in Thebes, the Egyptologist J. Baye discovered more than two thousand such inscriptions dating back to the times of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.

1.1.1 Herodotus

One of the first learned travelers was Herodotus, who, according to Cicero, is the "father of history." Herodotus was born around 484 BC in the Asia Minor city of Halicarnassus. He came from a wealthy and noble family with extensive trading connections. At a young age, due to political troubles, he left his native city and lived on the island of Samos. Disillusioned with politics, Herodotus began to take an interest in the history of his people and, above all, in mythology. Many researchers believe that it was the desire to visit the places where Hercules performed his exploits that prompted Herodotus to travel. Being from a wealthy family, Herodotus did not need money.

He traveled all over Greece and Asia Minor, then sailed to the Phoenician city of Tire. Most of all, Herodotus was attracted by the East and its rich cultural heritage. Herodotus traveled around Libya, visited Babylon, but he was especially struck by Egypt, where he stayed for three months. In Egypt, he asked the inscriptions to be translated for him, asking the priests about the history of this state. He was interested not only in the life of the pharaohs, but also visited the workshops of embalmers. He measured the length of the perimeter of the base of the pyramids in steps, making specific mathematical calculations. Returning to Greece, Herodotus shared his knowledge with his compatriots. This was his first trip.

The second journey of Herodotus passed through Asia Minor, from where he arrived by ship to the Northern Black Sea region, through the Helespont to the Milesian colony of Olbia at the mouth of the Dnieper-Bug estuary. There he met with the nomadic tribes of the Scythians, observed their customs, rituals, studied their social system.

Herodotus devoted his third journey to the study of the Balkan Peninsula. He traveled around the Peloponnese, the islands of the Aegean Sea (Delos, Pharos, Zakif and others), then traveled through southern Italy and the north of the Balkan Peninsula.

Herodotus traveled for 10 years (from 455 to 445 BC), and set out all his observations in 9 books, each of which was named after one of the muses. In his famous work "History" Herodotus described not only the history of many peoples, but also ethnographic signs, i.e. description of facial features, skin color, type of clothing, way of life, rituals, folk signs, general way of life, etc.

The "History" of Herodotus bizarrely combines his personal observations, real information about distant countries, obtained in wanderings, with a retelling of mythological events. Herodotus is skeptical about stories of goat-legged people or werewolves from the Neuri tribe, but he is quite serious about giant gold-mining ants from the Indian desert. Herodotus did not believe the testimony of the Phoenicians, who circled the African continent, that during the voyage the sun turned out to be on their right side.

Despite the existing inaccuracies, it is difficult to overestimate the significance of Herodotus' work. He collected many ancient ideas about the world, described the geography of many countries, the life of different peoples.

Only fragments of his writings have come down to us, but the main thing is that Herodotus is the first Greek tourist, because, unlike his predecessors, he wandered not for the sake of achieving some other goals, but for the sake of the journey itself, i.e. for the sake of pleasure, the satisfaction of one's own inquisitiveness and curiosity.

Herodotus believed that the Etruscans, or, as the Greeks called them, Tyrrhens or Tyrsenes, came from the state of Lydia, located on the territory of Asia Minor, are the clearest example of a traveler people. The name of the legendary Etruscan prince Tiersen is preserved in the name of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Returning as a young man to his homeland, to 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 passages from the description of his travels there, causing general delight. At the end of his life, he retired to Italy, to Thurium, where he died about 425 BC, leaving behind the fame of a famous traveler and an even more famous historian.

traveler tourism geography country studies

1.1.2 Pytheas

In the VII-VI centuries. BC e. Etruscan civilization reached its peak. By this time, it was compared in its influence on the sea with such great maritime powers as the Hellenic and Carthage.

During this era, travel was made mainly for economic, political and military purposes. One example of travel for economic purposes was the journey of the Greek merchant Pytheas. The intensification of competition between the Greek policies, on the one hand, and Phoenicia and Carthage, on the other, for dominance in trade in the Western Mediterranean basin, which led to local military conflicts, forced Pytheas to go on an independent search for new Western European markets.

The Phoenicians did not allow foreign merchants to cross the Strait of Gibraltar, the movement through which was controlled by special garrisons located in Gadiz (Cadiz) and Tingis (Tangier) on both sides of the strait. The Phoenicians had a monopoly on such goods as tin, amber, a number of expensive furs, which they supplied to the Mediterranean countries from the British Isles and the countries of Northern Europe.

In 325 (according to other sources in 320) BC. Pytheas sailed on one ship from his native city of Messalia (now Marseille), to the Mediterranean Sea. He sailed through Gibraltar and, rounding the Iberian Peninsula, entered the Bay of Biscay. Then he sailed along the coast of the country of the Celts and reached the English Channel. There he landed on the island of Albion, which means "White", named because of the frequent fogs. On this island, Pytheas learned from the inhabitants that to the north of them lies the land of "Thule", which in translation from the local dialect means "edge", "limit".

Pytheas rounded the British Peninsula from the west, and through the North Strait between Britain and Ireland entered the Atlantic Ocean. Pytheas tried to reach the land of "Thule" (now the island of Iceland). He sailed through the Orkney and Shetland Islands and, reaching the Ferry Islands, went further, to 61 ° north latitude. None of the ancient Greeks and even the Romans did not go so far to the north. But the further swimming of Pytheas was prevented by impenetrable fogs that form from hitting northern ice in the warm Gulf Stream. Pytheas was forced to turn south to the shores of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Later, in his notes, Pytheas will call the land of Thule "the last limit", which in Latin sounds like "ultima tule".

But Pytheas' journey did not end there. Pytheas sailed east and arrived at the mouth of the Rhine, where the Ostions lived, and then the Germans. From there he sailed to the mouth of the Elbe and returned to Messalia.

Information about the travels of Pytheas is contradictory. Some ancient authors believe that Pytheas sailed further east on his way back, entered the Baltic Sea and then went down the Dniester to the Black Sea (Pontus Euxinus) and through the Bosporus and the Dardanelles entered the Mediterranean Sea and returned home. However, many ancient Greek historians distrust such descriptions. But the northern journey of Pytheas and his achievements are indisputable.

1.3 Eudoxus

The interests of the ancient Greeks were very diverse. They turned their eyes to all corners of the world. The ancient Greeks held the primacy of Europeans in sailing to the shores of India. But, in fairness, it must be said that the Greeks used the information they received from Egyptian travelers.

So, for example, the Greek navigator Eudoxus of Cyzicus, on the orders of Pharaoh Ptolemy III, undertook a voyage to the shores of India, sailing from Egypt, accompanied by an Indian guide. Mariners safely reached the desired goal.

Eudoxus made the second expedition to India on the instructions of Queen Cleopatra for a cargo of incense. But on the way back, the winds carried the ship south of Ethiopia, and Eudoxus was forced to move along the coast of Africa.

During his third journey (120 - 115 BC), he sailed around Africa, as the Phoenicians did, but died at the end of the journey.

1.4 Alexander the Great

Considering the travels of the Hellenistic era, one cannot fail to note the military campaigns of Alexander the Great, which lasted for 10 years. In the ancient world, these campaigns were considered an unheard of, almost legendary feat. The fame of the brilliant military victories of the great Alexander was reflected in the folk traditions of the entire Middle Ages.

In 330 BC the troops of Alexander the Great, having defeated the Persian kingdom, reached southern Afghanistan. Then, through modern Kandahar and Ghazni, they poisoned themselves in Kabkl. From there, having passed the Khavak pass (3,548 m) in the Hindu Kush mountain system, we arrived in northern Afghanistan. After that, the Macedonian king made his campaign to the Syr Darya and reached modern Khujand (until 1991 - the city of Leninabad). Then the army turned south and invaded the Punjab, where, due to the discontent of the soldiers, heat and illness, Alexander was forced to go back, during which he was overtaken by death.

Without going into the military details of this campaign, we can safely say that it ended for the Greeks, and then for the Romans, by opening the way to India. Thanks to this campaign, the Greeks and Macedonians got acquainted with little-known, or even completely unknown before, peoples, their culture, way of life, and traditions. Personally, Alexander the Great was interested in the study of Asia. Alexander's entourage included not only warriors, but also outstanding scientists and artists. In their works, they described in detail everything they saw, heard and studied during this campaign.

This campaign marked the beginning of museology. Alexander, after the victory over the Persians, sent money to his teacher Aristotle. With this money, Aristotle founded a natural science museum. Aristotle asked his royal disciple to send him samples of unknown plants and skins or stuffed animals of unusual animals, which was done at the behest of Alexander.

During the voyage of Nearchus, not only was a map of the coast drawn up, but also natural phenomena were studied, in particular monsoon winds, and knowledge of botany and zoology was expanded. Nearchus got acquainted with many tribes and peoples, learned their customs and laws.

Thus, the campaign of Alexander the Great can also be considered a "scientific expedition", since the conqueror surrounded himself with natural scientists, mathematicians, historians, philosophers, botanists and artists.

1.1.5 Strabo

The geographical representations of Herodotus were expanded by the ancient Greek scientist and traveler Strabo, who was born in the 1st century BC. BC. in the southeastern part of the Asia Minor peninsula. Strabo, coming from a noble and wealthy family, received an excellent education and had the opportunity to travel to various parts of the Roman Empire. He visited Italy, Asia Minor, Egypt, Rome itself; in his distant wanderings, Strabo reached Armenia and the borders of Ethiopia.

As a result of these travels, he collected extensive historical and geographical material, which was subsequently used in two major works: "Historical Notes" and "Geography", consisting of 17 books. The fates of these two creations of Strabo are completely opposite: if the first is almost completely lost, then the second has come down to our days almost entirely and brought fame to this scientist, which has a thousand-year history.

The "Geography" tells about Spain, Italy, Greece, India, Egypt, Central and Eastern Europe, Central, Central and Asia Minor. Strabo not only describes nature and population, but also makes historical excursions, mentioning some facts that are no longer known to any sources.

Strabo considered geography a part of philosophy, interpreting it from the standpoint of the Stoic ideas of Posidonius. He considered Homer to be a completely reliable source of geographical information. Strabo had no idea about mathematical geography, limiting himself to descriptive, hence his often unfair criticism of his predecessors, in particular Eratosthenes. Strabo's descriptions are accurate, and some still seem to be the main source of our knowledge to this day, for example, descriptions of the Nile Delta and Alexandria. Strabo also paid attention to the history, and in particular, the history of the culture of the countries described. He addressed his essay to a wide circle of readers; in it he also expressed a kind of admiration for the power of Rome. According to Strabo, the Earth was an island washed by the Ocean, which created 4 gulfs: the Caspian Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf. He was the first to express the idea of ​​a gradual dismemberment of the land. He divided the populated world into Europe, Asia and Libya, that is, Africa. Strabo's "Geography" is the largest geographical work that has come down to us from antiquity. Along with the work of Claudius Ptolemy, it represents the source of our information about ancient geography. Strabo wrote simply and concisely, without rhetorical embellishments. Strabo's work was little known until the 5th century. AD Then it became a classic work on geography, and Strabo was simply called the Geographer.

Ancient Greek culture enriched mankind with knowledge about the world around us, elevating travel to the rank of a mass phenomenon, but we can talk about the initial stages of the tourism industry from the era of Ancient Rome.

1.2 Travelers of Ancient Rome

2.1 Aeneas (mythology)

Travel is at the heart of the civilization of Ancient Rome. The ancestor of Rome is considered one of the main defenders of Troy during the Trojan War - Aeneas. After the defeat, Aeneas was forced, saving his family, to flee from the city captured by the Achaeans.

Virgil devoted the poem "Aeneid" to this journey. The path of the small fleet of Aeneas lay across the Aegean Sea, then, having circled the Peloponnese through the Adriatic Sea, the travelers arrived in Epirus, located on the western coast of the Balkans, from where they proceeded to Sicily. A sudden storm threw their ships to the northern coast of Africa, and only the intervention of Neptune himself saved them from imminent death.

In Carthage, Aeneas was overwhelmed by the love charms and hospitality of the dowager queen Dido. But the supreme god of the Romans, Jupiter, sent Mercury (later the patron of wanderers) to Aeneas to remind him of the need to continue the journey.

Aeneas resumes his journey. The Trojans arrive on the Apennine Peninsula, where they initially stop at the city of Kuma, and then, after the prophetess Sibyl gave Aeneas an "excursion" to the Kingdom of the Dead, where the ghost of the deceased father told him about the future great destiny of Rome, they continue their journey, which ends on the banks of the Tiber. And five centuries later, Rome was founded there.

The Trojans had many more trials ahead of them. The local population - the Latins - start wars against them. And only the marriage of Aeneas with the daughter of the king of the Latins, Lavinia, ended this bloody conflict. But, in order to appease the local gods, in particular Juno, they undertook to adopt the language and traditions of the Latins.

The emperor Octavian Augustus played a big role in editing and spreading the myth about Aeneas. This allowed Roman aristocrats to trace their lineage back to the Trojans.

The history of the formation and spread of Christianity is directly connected with the journey of both Jesus himself and his apostles.

2.2 Apostle Paul

The most prominent preacher of the new religion was the apostle Paul. He accepted the new faith after he had a vision while traveling to Damascus in which Jesus spoke to him. Paul traveled extensively during his missionary work. He visited Asia Minor, Greece, Syria, Palestine. Paul returned to Jerusalem after three long journeys to the eastern part of the Roman Empire, where he was arrested and sent to Rome. This was the last journey of the apostle: in 64 AD. e. Paul was executed on the outskirts of Rome for his active missionary work and the development of Christian theology. Christian doctrine in the Roman Empire was persecuted until the 4th century. n. e.

2.3 Pausanias

The first traveler of our era, whose name is preserved in history, was the Greek writer Pausanias. He lived in Rome and traveled extensively in the Greek and Roman provinces. A description of his travels, compiled in the form of a guide ("Description of Hellas"), he published in ten books around 180 AD. Pausanias described Attica (the southeastern part of central Greece) and Athens in particular detail. From Attica, he moved to Corinth and explored the islands of the Aegean. He then gave a description of Laconia and Sparta, listing the names of all the roads and provinces.

2.4 Gippal

Of great importance for the development of trade was the journey of the merchant Gippal in 14-37. AD He set out from East Africa and reached the Indus Delta. He established the pattern of monsoon movement in the Indian Ocean, sailed from Cape Fartak to the Indus Delta. Gippal wrote the book "Sailing around the Eritrean Sea". This essay describes the coast of Africa from Cape Guardafui to the island of Zanzibar. The southern coast of Arabia and most of the western coast of India are also described.

"Description of a journey along Pontus Euxinus" (the Black Sea) was written by the Greek historian Arrian, who lived in the 2nd century BC. n. e. In his work, Arrian tries to characterize the countries and peoples living along the shores of this sea. Truly encyclopedic works were "World History" by Polybius and "Geography" by Claudius Ptolemy.

Travelers in Ancient Rome were apostles and emperors (Trajan, Adrian, Marcus Aurelius), commanders and scientists. The military campaigns of the Romans, such as Caesar in Gaul, Claudius in Britain, Scipio in Africa, led to the expansion of reliable geographical knowledge. The Romans build roads, lay fortresses, some of them will eventually become the capitals of European states: Singidunkum (Belgrade); Aquincum (Buda, later merged with the left-bank Pest); Vindobona (Vienna).

There is even a philosophy of tourism. Lucius Annei Seneca in his "Letters to Lucilius" substantiates the idea that for tourism it is necessary "to choose places healthy not only for the body, but also for morals." Because, according to Seneca, "and the area, no doubt, is not devoid of the ability to corrupt." As haunts of all vices, they cite such famous resorts as Canop and Bailly.

But at the same time, the philosopher argues that "it is not the sky that needs to be changed, but the soul", because "your vices will follow you wherever you go." In support of this thesis, Seneca cites the statement of Socrates: "Is it strange that you have no benefit from wandering if you drag yourself around everywhere?" To travel in order to get the maximum benefit and pleasure, it is necessary with pure soul- considered ancient scientists.

Conclusion

Travelers of antiquity made a huge contribution both to the history of the development of tourism, geography and culture, regional studies, ethnography, various sciences and teachings, and to world history as a whole.

Travelers throughout the history of mankind have obtained important information that served as a valuable source of knowledge of various sciences. On the basis of the collected materials, scientists built various concepts explaining the historical development of a particular country. They resorted to their help when they tried to prove or disprove any hypotheses and ideas.

Thus, thanks to the travelers of antiquity, new lands and peoples were discovered, rich geographical material was accumulated, which contributed to further travels and discoveries.

List of used literature

1.M.V. Belkin, O. Plakhotskaya. Dictionary "Ancient writers". Access mode:

Makarenko S.N., Saak A.E. History of tourism. Access mode:

Sokolova M.V. History of tourism: a textbook for students of higher educational institutions. - M.: Publishing center "Academy", 2006.

Encyclopedia for children: T. 3 (Geography). - Comp. S.T. Ismailov. - M.: Avanta +, 1994.

In each era there are people who are not limited to the idea of ​​the world given to them. Their whole life is a search. It was thanks to such restless natures that America, Australia, New Zealand and many other points on the map were discovered. And the richest travelers were in Europe in the 15-16th century - the time of colonization.

Miklukho-Maclay (1846-1888)

The future traveler and ethnographer was born in St. Petersburg in the family of an engineer. He was quickly expelled from the university for participating in the student movement. So he finished his education already in Germany. From there he went on his first trip to the Canary Islands, then to Madeira, Morocco, the Red Sea coast. I went there as a fauna researcher, and returned as an ethnographer. He was more interested not in animals and flowers, but in people.

Miklouho-Maclay explored the indigenous populations of Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. He lived for several years on the northwestern coast of New Guinea, visited the islands of Oceania. He made two expeditions to the Malay Peninsula. Studying the indigenous inhabitants of these little-explored lands, the scientist came to the conclusion about the species unity and kinship of different races. He spent the last years of his life in Indonesia and Australia and even proposed the project of the Papuan Union in New Guinea. He, according to the idea of ​​the researcher, had to resist the invaders-colonizers. One of his latest ideas - Russian artel communities in New Guinea - an ideal version of the state system.

The scientist died in his native St. Petersburg in a hospital bed, numerous expeditions by the age of 42 completely “worn out” the body. Collections and papers of Miklouho-Maclay - sixteen notebooks, six thick notebooks, plans, maps, own drawings, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, diaries of different years - were transferred to the Imperial Russian Geographical Society and placed in the museum of the Imperial Academy of Sciences.

Christopher Columbus (1451 - 1506)

Christopher Columbus became a real navigator thanks to his father-in-law, the owner of one of the islands in Portugal. Studying geography, Columbus decided that the cherished India can be reached through the Atlantic Ocean. Indeed, in those days, strong Turkey blocked the path to the East, and Europe needed a new road to this land of spices. Only the Spanish crown agreed to sponsor Columbus, and in 1492 three caravels "Santa Maria", "Nina" and "Pinta" entered the open water. First, the ships headed for the Canary Islands, then west. Several times the crew demanded a return, but Columbus insisted on his own. As a result, they landed on the island of San Salvador (Guanahani). Then they discovered the islands of Juan (present-day Cuba) and Hispaniola (Haiti). True, the traveler was sure that they were on the coast washed by the Indian Ocean. He returned to Spain in triumph, and a squadron already consisting of 14 caravels and three merchant ships set off on a new journey.

But Columbus was not a scientist, but pursued completely selfish goals: to provide for his family and himself. And this affected his future fate: the indigenous population rebelled. In the colonies, where acquisitiveness and greed were the main principle, even the colonizers themselves wrote complaints to Spain about Columbus and his brother. But he did his job - he opened for Europe the archipelago of the Greater Antilles, the mouth of the Orinoco River, Central America. True, until the end of his life he was sure that all this is adjacent to India.

In the measures, Columbus in illness and poverty, and even after death, did not find peace. His remains were transferred from city to city several times.

Vasco da Gama (1460 - 1524)

P the first to cross the ocean from Portugal to the East. The future discoverer grew up in a noble family in Portugal. He went on an expedition to the East instead of his traveler father, who died suddenly. In 1497, his ships left the port. Few believed in the success of the Portuguese. But he did it. Da Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope and headed for India. Sailors died from scurvy and in skirmishes with Muslim merchants who flooded Africa. They saw the traveler as a competitor. And not in vain. Two years later, the Portuguese brought back ships of spices - one of the most expensive goods at that time.

The second expedition was also successful. Da Gama already had warships at his disposal to protect himself from ill-wishers.

The third expedition was the last for Vasco da Gama. He was appointed representative of the royal family in India. But he did not stay in this position for very long. In 1954 he died from a serious illness.

Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521)

Born in 1480 in northern Portugal. The first time he went to sea as part of the fleet of Admiral Francisco Almeda. Participated in several expeditions before he went on his own to look for new ways to the Malay Archipelago in Indonesia. Spain supported Magellan - she sponsored a trip across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1519, five ships reached South America. Expedition sweat and blood was given the way to the south along the coast of America. But in 1520, the strait to the Pacific Ocean was found - later it will be called Magellanic. A year later, the traveler had already arrived at his destination - the Moluccas. But in the Philippine Islands, the traveler was drawn into a local war of leaders, and he was killed. The return of the rest of the crew to their homeland was not easy. Only one ship out of five and 18 people out of 200 made it.

James Cook (1728-1779)

Cooke was born into the family of an English farmhand. But he made a career from a simple cabin boy to an expedition leader. Skill, intelligence and ingenuity were quickly appreciated. The first expedition of James Cook began in 1767 on the ship Endeavor. The official version is the observation of the passage of Venus through the disk of the Sun. But in fact, colonial England needed new lands. In addition, among the tasks was the study of the east coast of Australia. During the voyage, Cook did not stop studying cartography and navigation. The result of the expedition was the information that New Zealand- these are two independent islands, and not part of an unknown mainland. The scientist also mapped the east coast of Australia, discovered the strait between Australia and New Guinea.

The results of the second expedition (1772 - 1775) became even more impressive. New Caledonia, South Georgia, Easter Island, the Marquesas Islands, Friendship Island were mapped. Cook's ship crossed the Antarctic Circle.

The third voyage took 4 years. Were investigated and some others. It was on the Hawaiian Islands during one of the conflicts between the natives and the British that James Cook died - he was pierced in the back of the head with a spear. But evidence that the natives ate Cook has not been found.

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History of mankind and travel. Herodotus - the first great traveler and father modern history. Arab and European Travelers of the Middle Ages...

By Masterweb

The exploration of our planet took place over several centuries, and many people distinguished themselves, whose names and merits are recorded in many historical books. All the great travelers sought to escape from the routine of existence and look at the world with different eyes. Thirst for new knowledge, curiosity, desire to expand known horizons - all these qualities were inherent in each of them.

About history and travelers

The history of mankind should be taken as a history of travel. It is impossible to understand what the modern world would be like if previous civilizations had not sent travelers to the borders of the then unknown world. The thirst for travel is inherent in the human DNA, because he has always sought to explore something and expand his own world.

The first people 100,000 years ago began to colonize the world, moving from Africa to Asia and Europe. In the era of the Middle Ages and modern times, travelers went to unknown countries in search of gold, glory, new lands, or they simply ran away from their miserable existence and poverty. However, all great travelers have possessed the impulse of force of the same nature, the never-ending fuel of explorers - curiosity. Just something that a person does not know or does not understand is enough to create an alluring and irresistible force that cannot be resisted. Further, the article presents the exploits of the great travelers and their discoveries, which had a huge impact on the process of the formation of mankind. The following individuals are noted:

• Herodotus;
• Ibn Battuta;
• Marco Polo;
• Christopher Columbus;
• Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian Elcano;
• James Cook;
• Charles Darwin;
• explorers of Africa and Antarctica;
• famous Russian travelers.

Father of modern history - Herodotus

The famous Greek philosopher, Herodotus, lived in the 5th century BC. His first journey was exile, as Herodotus was accused of plotting against the tyrant of Halicarnassus, Lygdamis. During this exile, the great traveler travels around the entire Middle East. He describes all his discoveries and acquired knowledge in 9 books, thanks to which Herodotus received the nickname of the father of history. It is interesting to note that another famous historian of ancient Greece, Plutarch, gave Herodotus the nickname "father of lies." In his books, Herodotus tells about distant countries and about the cultures of many peoples, information about which the philosopher collected during his travels.

The stories of the great traveler are filled with political, philosophical and geographical reflections. They also contain sexual stories, myths and crime stories. Herodotus' writing style is semi-artistic. Modern historians consider the work of Herodotus to be a paradigm of curiosity. The historical and geographical knowledge introduced by Herodotus had a great influence on the development of Greek culture. The geographical map that Herodotus drew up, which included the limits from the Danube to the Nile, and from Iberia to India, for 1000 subsequent years determined the horizons of the world known at that time. It should be noted that the scientist was very worried that the knowledge he had gained would not be lost by mankind over time, and therefore he outlined them in detail in his 9 books.

Ibn Battuta (1302 - 1368)

Like every Muslim, twenty-year-old Battuta began his pilgrimage from the city of Tangier to Mecca on the back of a donkey. He could not even imagine that he would return to his hometown only 25 years later, with huge wealth and a whole harem of wives after he had traveled most of the world. If you wonder what great travelers first explored the Muslim world, then you can safely call Ibn Battuta. He traveled to all countries, from the Kingdom of Granada in Spain to China, and from the Caucasus Mountains to the city of Timbuktu, which is located in the Republic of Mali. This great traveler traveled 120,000 kilometers, met more than 40 sultans and emperors, was an ambassador to various sultans, and survived a number of disasters. Ibn Battuta always traveled with a large retinue, and in each new place he was treated as an important person.

Modern historians note that in the first half of the 14th century, when Ibn Battuta made his travels, the Islamic world was at the peak of its existence, which allowed the traveler to quickly and easily move through many territories.

Like Marco Polo, Battuta did not write his book ("Travel"), but dictated his stories to the Granadian erudite Ibn Khuzai. This work reflects Battuta's lust for enjoying life, which includes tales of sex and blood.

Marco Polo (1254 - 1324)

Marco Polo is one of the important names of great travelers. The book of the Venetian merchant Marco Polo, which tells in detail about his travels, became very popular even 2 centuries before the invention of printing. Marco Polo traveled the world for 24 years. Upon returning to his homeland, he was imprisoned during the war between the trading powers of the Mediterranean: Genoa and Venice. In prison, he dictated stories about his travels to one of his neighbors in misfortune. As a result, in 1298 a book appeared, which was called "Description of the world, dictated by Marco."

Marco Polo, along with his father and uncle, who were famous merchants in jewelry and silk, set off at the age of 17 on a trip to the Far East. During his trip, the great geographical traveler visited such forgotten places as Hormuz Island, the Gobi Desert, the coasts of Vietnam and India. Marco knew 5 foreign languages, was the representative of the great Mongol Khan Kublai for 17 years.

Note that Marco Polo was not the first European to visit Asia, however, he was the first to make a detailed geographical description of it. His book is a mixture of truth and fiction, which is why many historians question most of its facts. On his deathbed, a priest asked Marco Polo, who was 70 years old, to confess his lies, to which the great traveler replied that he had not said even half of what he had seen.

Christopher Columbus (1451 - 1506)

Speaking of travelers of the great age of discovery, first of all, we should mention Christopher Columbus, who shifted the backbone of the human economy to the west and ushered in a new era in history. Historians note that when Columbus sailed to the discovery of the New World, the word "gold" is most often found in the entries of his logbook, and not the word "land".

Christopher Columbus, based on information provided by Marco Polo, believed he could reach the Far East, full of gold and riches, by sailing west. As a result, on August 2, 1492, he sails from Spain on three ships and heads west. The journey across the Atlantic Ocean lasted longer than 2 months, and on October 11, Rodrigo Triana saw land from the ship La Pinta. This day radically changed the lives of Europeans and Americans.

Like many great travelers of the era of great discoveries, Columbus died in 1506 in poverty in the city of Valladolid. Columbus did not know that he had discovered a new continent, but thought that he managed to swim to India through the west.

Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian Elcano (XVI century)

One of the amazing routes of the great travelers of the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries is the route of Ferdinand Magellan, when he was able to get through a narrow strait from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, which Magellan so named in honor of its calm waters.

In the 16th century, there was a serious race for dominance on the seas and oceans between Portugal and Spain, historians compare this race with the race for space exploration between the USA and the USSR. Since Portugal dominated the African coast, Spain looked for ways to get to the spice islands (modern Indonesia) and to India through the west. Ferdinand Magellan became just a navigator who had to find a new way to the East through the West.

In September 1519, 5 ships with a total of 237 sailors set off for the West, led by Ferdinand Magellan. Three years later, only one ship returned with 18 sailors on board, led by Juan Sebastian Elcano. It was the first time that a man swam around the entire globe. The great traveler Ferdinand Magellan himself died in the Philippine Islands.

James Cook (1728-1779)

This British great traveler is considered the most famous explorer of the Pacific Ocean. He left his parents' farm and became a great captain in the Royal Navy. He made three great voyages from 1768 to 1779, which filled in many blank spots on the maps of the Pacific. All of Cook's travels were undertaken by the UK to achieve a range of geographic and botanical objectives in Oceania, Australia and New Zealand.

Charles Darwin (1809 - 1882)

Few people know that in the story of great travelers and their discoveries, the name of Charles Darwin, who, at the age of 22, set off on a journey on the Beagle brigantine in 1831 to explore the eastern coast of South America, must necessarily be mentioned. On this journey, Charles Darwin sailed around the world in 5 years, while collecting huge information about the flora and fauna of our planet, which turned out to be key to Darwin's theory of the evolution of living organisms.

After this long journey, the scientist locked himself in his house in Kent in order to carefully study the collected material and draw the right conclusions. In 1859, that is, 23 years after the circumnavigation of the world, Charles Darwin published his work On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, the main thesis of which was that not the strongest living organisms survive, but the most adapted to environmental conditions. .

Exploring Africa

The great travelers who have distinguished themselves in the exploration of Africa are mainly the British. One of the famous explorers of the black continent is Dr. Livingston, who distinguished himself in the studies of the central regions of Africa. Livingston owns the discovery of the Victoria Falls. This man is a national hero of Great Britain.

Other famous Britons who distinguished themselves in the exploration of Africa are John Speke and Richard Francis Burton, who made many trips to the African continent in the second half of the 19th century. Their most famous journey is the search for the source of the Nile.

Exploration of Antarctica

The exploration of the icy southern continent - Antarctica marked a new stage in the history of mankind. Briton Robert Scott and Norwegian Roald Amundsen distinguished themselves in the conquest of the South Pole. Scott was an explorer and officer in the Royal Navy of Britain, he led 2 expeditions to Antarctica, and on January 17, 1912, he, along with five members of his team, reached the South Pole, however, the Norwegian Amundsen was ahead of him by several weeks. The entire expedition of Robert Scott died, freezing in the icy desert of Antarctica. Amundsen, in turn, having visited the South Pole on December 14, 1911, was able to return to his homeland alive.

First female traveler

The thirst for travel and new discoveries was characteristic not only of men, but also of women. So, the first woman traveler, about whom there is reliable evidence, was the Galician (northwestern part of Spain) Echeria in the 4th century AD. Her travels were connected with the holy lands and pilgrimages. So, it is known that within 3 years she visited Constantinople, Jerusalem, Sinai, Mesopotamia and Egypt. It is unknown if Echeria returned to her homeland.

Great Russian travelers who expanded the borders of Russia

Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of area. In many ways, this fame is due to Russian travelers and researchers. Great travelers in the table below are given.

Russian travelers - explorers of the planet

Among them, Ivan Kruzenshtern should be noted, who was the first Russian to travel around the globe. We also mention Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay, who was a famous navigator and explorer of Oceania and Southeast Asia. Let us also mention Nikolai Przhevalsky, who was one of the most famous explorers of Central Asia in the world.

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Julian of Hungary,"Columbus of the East" - 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 they still remembered the distant lands of their ancestors, the steppe regions east of the Urals. In 1235, the Hungarian prince Bela sent four Dominican monks on a journey. After a while, two Dominicans decided to go back, and the third companion of Julian died. The monk decided to continue the journey alone. As a result, having passed Constantinople, passing along the Kuban River, Julian reached the Great Bulgaria, or Volga Bulgaria. The Dominican's way back ran through the Mordovian lands, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, Ryazan, Chernigov and Kyiv. In 1237, Julian of Hungary went on a second trip, but already on the way, having reached the eastern lands of Russia, he learned about the attack on Great Bulgaria by the Mongol troops. The description of the monk's travels has become an important source in the study of the history of the Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria.

Gunnbjorn Ulfson. Surely you have heard of Eirik the Red, Scandinavian navigator, 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 by a strong storm to new shores. 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, was the only native of China to describe his journey through Europe. As a Nestorian monk, Rabban went on a long and perilous pilgrimage to Jerusalem around 1278. Having advanced from the Mongol capital Khanbalik, i.e., present-day Beijing, he crossed all of Asia, but having already approached Persia, he learned about the war in the Holy Land and changed the route. In Persia, Rabban Sauma was warmly received, and a few years later, at the request of Arghun Khan, he was equipped with a diplomatic mission to Rome. First, he visited Constantinople and King Andronicus II, then he visited Rome, where he established international contacts with the cardinals, and eventually ended up in France, at the court of King Philip the Handsome, offering 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 Rubuc A Franciscan monk, after the end of the Seventh Crusade, he was sent by King Louis of France to the southern steppes in order to establish diplomatic cooperation with the Mongols. From Jerusalem, Guillaume de Rubuc reached Constantinople, from there to Sudak and moved towards 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 give 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 usual 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, unusual for Europe: in the city of Karakorum, both pagan and Buddhist temples, a mosque, and a Christian Nestorian church peacefully coexisted.

Afanasy Nikitin, Tver merchant, in 1466 he 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 "Journey Beyond the Three Seas." As soon as they left their 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, customs, political and religious structure of Indian lands. In 1472, Afanasy Nikitin set off for his homeland, but never reached Tver, having died near Smolensk. Afanasy Nikitin became the first European to cross the path to India.

Chen Chen and Li Da- Chinese travelers who made the most dangerous expedition to 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 Emperor Yong-le 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- A 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 widely in India and China, visited the territory of modern Indonesia, having reached the island of Java, lived in Beijing for several years, and then returned home, passing Lhasa. He died already in a monastery in Udine, but before his death he managed to dictate his travel impressions rich in details. His memoirs formed the basis of the famous book "The Adventures of Sir John Mandeville", which was read in medieval Europe.

Naddod and Gardar The Vikings 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 brought him to a new land. After examining the surroundings and not finding signs of human life there, he went home. The next to set foot on the land of Iceland was the Swedish Viking Gardar - he went around the island along the coast on his ship. Naddod called the island "Snowland", and Iceland (i.e. "country of ice") owes its current name to the third Viking, Floki Vilgerdarson, who reached this harsh and beautiful land.

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

Ibn Battuta famous not only for his wanderings. If his other "colleagues" set off on a trade, religious or diplomatic mission, then the Berber traveler was called by the muse of distant wanderings - he overcame 120,700 km solely out of love for tourism. Ibn Battuta was born in 1304 in the Moroccan city of Tangier in the family of a sheikh. The first point on the personal map of Ibn Battuta was Mecca, where he got, moving overland along the coast of Africa. Instead of returning home, he continued his journey through the Middle East and East Africa. Having reached Tanzania and finding himself without funds, he ventured on a trip 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, on the way it was plundered and, fearing the Sultan's wrath and not daring to return to Delhi, Ibn Battuta was forced to hide in the Maldives, visiting Sri Lanka, Bengal and Sumatra along the way. He reached China only in 1345, from where he headed towards the house. But, of course, he couldn’t sit at home - Ibn Battuta made a short trip to Spain (then 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 he settled in the city Fez, where he dictated all the details of his incredible adventures.

Humanity owes these brave men not only interesting information, but also scientific discoveries.

And in the times that we call "prehistoric", there were people who could not sit still, who aspired there, beyond the horizon. They went into complete obscurity, without decent vehicles and means of protection at their disposal, thinking not of themselves, but of the great goal that they set and eventually achieved.

Hanno - 505 BC

Carthaginian (resident of the state of Carthage, located on the territory of modern Tunisia - approx. ed.) Gannon considered the very first of all known travelers. The Carthaginian Senate equipped 60 galleys, each of which had 50 rowers. This fleet was to make a risky expedition - to reach the western coast of Africa and colonize the land. Hanno was at the head of the expedition. In total, thirty thousand people went on a trip - today they would be called settlers: their mission was to develop new lands.

Sailing across the Atlantic Ocean was then incredibly dangerous. Nevertheless, Gannon and his associates, having overcome all the obstacles on the way, reached the shores of West Africa. On one of the islands (apparently belonging to the Canary Islands group), travelers discovered many gorillas and mistook them for "wild people". Hoping to establish contact, the Carthaginians captured three "savages", but soon, due to the aggressiveness of the gorillas, they had to be killed.

On other islands, the Carthaginians entered into friendly and commercial alliances with the locals. Having reached the South Horn, the travelers realized that they risked being left without supplies - they were running out. Then Gannon decided to return home. In Carthage, in the temple of Moloch, in memory of this journey, a large marble slab was placed on which a description of the great journey was carved.

Herodotus (484 - 425 BC)

Ancient Greek scientist - historian and geographer, Herodotus He became famous as the "father of history", as well as one of the first travelers. He compiled the first more or less accurate description of the real world for his contemporaries - based on his own observations and on the stories of other people.

To obtain the information necessary to write his most famous work - "History" - Herodotus traveled all the countries available at that time. He traveled to Greece and Egypt, Persia and Babylonia, Asia Minor and Southern Italy, the Mediterranean islands and the Crimea.

Herodotus began to travel at about 20 years old, and his goal was precisely science - he sought to collect as much information as possible about ongoing events, about the peoples who inhabited different lands. His first journey resulted in a major study of those peoples who at that time were not yet known to the Greeks. Herodotus wrote in his writings about the Greco-Persian wars, about the manners and customs of the Persians.

He was the first to describe Scythia and the peoples inhabiting this country, gave a complete description of the Ister (Danube) river, which flows through all of Europe, and Borisfen (Dnieper). In the writings of Herodotus, much attention is paid to Scythian myths - for example, about Hercules. He also writes about the Amazons - female warriors.

Later, Herodotus visited Northeast Africa, in Cyrene, and was the first in history to describe these territories. Herodotus collected very interesting information about Egypt, and modern scholars for the most part confirm the correctness of his descriptions.

Pytheas (340 BC)

Tragedy Pytheas lies in the fact that his stories about distant countries aroused distrust and ridicule among his contemporaries. But his courage deserves respect - he dared to embark on a dangerous voyage across the Atlantic on a single ship. The expedition of Pytheas was heading to the North - they hoped to find tin and amber in uncharted lands. Such an order was given to Pytheas by his fellow merchants from the city of Massilia (Marseille). Pytheas did an excellent job with the assignment, while making several important geographical discoveries.

For example, moving north, he noticed that the farther to the northern latitudes, the longer the day becomes. Thus, the relationship between the length of day and night and geographic latitude was established. In addition, he was the first to guess that the ebbs and flows are associated with the attraction of the moon. Pytheas discovered that the North Star cannot serve as an accurate guide to the north. He was able to make all these and other discoveries thanks to his travels.

Eudoxus (IIcentury BC)

Greek scientist and geographer Eudoxus He began his travels by visiting Egypt and India.

Having hired a large ship and two launches, Eudoxus sailed through the waters of the Atlantic. It is not known how far he made his way. Scholars are wary of putting too much trust in his evidence because there is no credible evidence. However, it is known for sure that by order of the pharaoh Ptolemy Eudoxus visited India, sailing there accompanied by an Indian guide. This was followed by a second trip to India - Eudoxus was sent there by the queen Cleopatra, to bring Indian incense.

Deciding to go around Africa, the brave traveler almost carried out a dizzying plan, but died at the very end of the journey.

Strabo (64/63 BC - 23/24 AD)

Ancient Greek traveler and geographer Strabo was known for his comprehensive education. He left behind an amazing work - "Geography" in 17 volumes, which contained the most detailed and diverse information about many countries and peoples. The chapters on the Trans-Caspian lands, on Asian Scythia, and on the Caucasus are relevant and interesting even today.

Strabo traveled a lot. He repeatedly visited Egypt and compiled a detailed description of Alexandria, described Pyramids of Egypt, talked a lot about the wonders of the world.

Strabo lived a long life and died in Rome. His "Geography" is the most important and most interesting monument of ancient Greek science.