Scylax of Caryanda
Scylax of Caryanda was a Greek explorer and historian active around the early 6th century BCE, known for his significant contributions to geography and exploration. Commissioned by Darius the Great, he undertook a notable journey that involved traveling from northern India along the Indus River to the sea and then to the isthmus of Suez. This expedition is believed to have influenced his work, the Periplus, which served as a geographical account of his travels; however, only fragments of this text have survived, as it is referenced by later authors.
Scylax is recognized for laying the groundwork for the Greek literary genre of the periplus, which documented coastal navigation and geography. His work subsequently influenced other historians and geographers, including Aristotle and Strabo, who drew upon his observations for their own writings. The impact of Scylax's explorations extended beyond navigation, shaping the understanding of various regions among merchants, seamen, and scholars throughout antiquity. As such, Scylax remains a pivotal figure in the history of exploration and geography, illustrating the interconnectedness of ancient civilizations through trade and knowledge sharing.
On this Page
Scylax of Caryanda
Related civilization: Persia
Major role/position: Navigator, geographer
Life
The Greek historian Herodotus reported that in about 515 b.c.e., Darius the Great sent Scylax of Caryanda (SI-laks of KAR-ee-an-duh), an island off Caria near Halicarnassus, and others whom he trusted on a journey. They traveled from northern India down the Indus River eastward to the sea and thence westward, in the thirtieth month, to the isthmus of Suez; after this circumnavigation, Darius conquered the Indians and made use of this sea.
Exactly where Scylax traveled is impossible to determine, but he appears to have based his Periplus, a geographical work, at least in part on his own experience. The Greek historian Herodotus knew Scylax in connection with India, the Indian Ocean, and geographical authority, and so did geographer and protohistorian Hecataeus of Miletus in the sixth or fifth century b.c.e. and philosopher Aristotle in the fourth century b.c.e. There are numerous texts entitled Periplus, and Scylax’s may have been the first; however, it survives only in fragments quoted by others. An extant fourth century b.c.e.Periplus, probably borrowed on Scylax’s authority for its descriptions of the coasts of Europe, Asia, and Libya. Strabo’sGeōgraphica (c. 7 b.c.e.; Geography, 1917-1933) may have also used Scylax’s work for its descriptions of the road. The Latin poet Avienus cited Scylax as late as the fourth century c.e.
Influence
In writing what was probably the first Greek periplus at the end of the sixth century b.c.e., Scylax created a Greek literary genre that influenced not only merchants and seamen but also geographers and classical letters in general.
Bibliography
Casson, Lionel. The Ancient Mariners. 2d ed. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1991.
Kaeppel, Carl. “The Periplus of Scylax.” In Off the Beaten Track in the Classics. New York: Melbourne University Press, 1936.