Himilco facts for kids

Himilco was a brave Carthaginian navigator and explorer. He lived around 500 BC, when Carthage was a very powerful city.

Himilco was the first known explorer from the Mediterranean Sea to reach the northwestern shores of Europe. He wrote about his amazing journeys, but his original writings are now lost. We know about his travels because Roman writers later quoted him. For example, Pliny the Elder mentioned Himilco in his book Natural History. Another writer, Rufius Festus Avienius, quoted Himilco three times in his poem Ora Maritima.

Himilco's Great Journey

We don't know much about Himilco himself, but his voyages were very important. He sailed north along the Atlantic coast. His journey took him from the Iberian Peninsula (modern-day Spain and Portugal) all the way to the British Isles.

Exploring New Lands

Himilco traveled to northwestern France. He also visited the land of the Oestrimini tribe, who lived in Portugal. His main goal was likely to trade for valuable goods. He was looking for tin, which was important for making bronze. He also sought other precious metals.

Reaching Faraway Islands

Records of Himilco's trips mention the islands of Albion (which is now Great Britain) and Ierne (which is Ireland). According to Avienius, the journey to the Oestrimini tribe took the Carthaginians four months. Himilco was not the very first person to sail the northern Atlantic Ocean. Avienius said that Himilco followed an old trade route. This route was already used by the Tartessians from southern Iberia.

Tales of the Sea

Himilco described his journeys as very difficult and scary. He often reported seeing sea monsters and huge amounts of seaweed. He probably did this to make the journeys sound dangerous. This would discourage his Greek rivals from trying to use these new trade routes. The Carthaginian stories about monsters helped create myths. These myths made people afraid to sail in the Atlantic Ocean.