Eudoxus of Cyzicus facts for kids
Eudoxus of Cyzicus was a brave Greek explorer. He lived around 130 BC. Eudoxus was a skilled navigator. He sailed for King Ptolemy VIII of Egypt. King Ptolemy ruled during the Hellenistic period. Eudoxus explored the Arabian Sea.
Contents
Eudoxus's Journeys to India
A long time ago, a Greek writer named Poseidonius told a story. This story was later written down by Strabo in his book Geography. It said that Eudoxus of Cyzicus was the first to use the monsoon winds to sail across the Indian Ocean. This happened around 118 or 116 BC.
Meeting an Indian Sailor
The story goes that a sailor from India was shipwrecked. He was found in the Red Sea. People took him to King Ptolemy VIII in Alexandria, Egypt. This Indian sailor offered to show the Greek sailors the way to India. King Ptolemy chose Eudoxus of Cyzicus for this important task.
First Voyage to India
Eudoxus made two trips from Egypt to India. His first trip was in 118 BC. The Indian sailor guided him on this journey. Eudoxus returned with valuable goods. These included sweet-smelling spices and beautiful jewels.
Second Voyage and New Routes
After his successful first trip, Eudoxus made a second voyage in 116 BC. This time, he sailed without a guide. He used the knowledge he had gained. Before Eudoxus, Greek and Indian ships usually met to trade in Arabian ports. A famous port was Aden. Sailing past Aden was rare and difficult. It meant hugging the coast for a very long time.
Sailors had known about the monsoon winds for ages. Indian ships used these winds to sail to Arabia. But no Greek ship had done it directly to India. Having an Indian pilot was a big deal. It meant the Greeks could go straight to India. They could skip the Arabian ports and trade directly. Soon, Greek ships were regularly using the monsoon winds to reach India. By 50 BC, many more Greek and Roman ships were sailing from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.
Another Greek sailor, Hippalus, is sometimes given credit for teaching Europeans about the monsoon route. Some people think he might have been part of Eudoxus's trips.
Trying to Sail Around Africa
When Eudoxus was coming back from his second trip to India, strong winds pushed his ship south. He was forced down the coast of Africa for some distance. Somewhere along the coast of East Africa, he found parts of a shipwrecked boat. The boat looked unusual. Local people told him stories about it. Eudoxus believed the ship came from Gades. Gades is now called Cadiz in Spain. He thought the ship had sailed all the way around Africa.
This discovery gave Eudoxus a big idea. He wanted to sail all the way around Africa himself. He planned the trip on his own. He set sail from Gades and started going down the African coast. But the journey was too hard. He faced many problems. He had to turn back and return to Europe.
Second Attempt and Unknown Fate
Even after this failure, Eudoxus tried again to sail around Africa. What happened to him after that is not known for sure. Some people, like the Roman writer Pliny, believed Eudoxus succeeded. But most historians think he probably got lost or died during his journey.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Eudoxo de Cícico para niños
