Pytheas facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Pytheas of Massalia
A statue of Pytheas outside the Palais de la Bourse, Marseille
Born	c. 350 BC Massalia
Nationality	Greek
Citizenship	Massaliote
Known for	Earliest Greek voyage to Britain, the Baltic, and the Arctic Circle for which there is a record, author of Periplus.
Scientific career
Fields	Geography, exploration, navigation

Pytheas of Massalia was an ancient Greek explorer, geographer, and astronomer. He came from Massalia, which is now the city of Marseille, France. Around 325 BC, Pytheas made an amazing journey to Northern Europe.

His original travel story, called Periplus (meaning "sail around"), is now lost. We only know about his adventures because other ancient writers mentioned his work. Pytheas was the first known Greek scientist to explore and describe the Arctic Circle, polar ice, and the people of Britain. He also wrote about the midnight sun and how the Moon causes tides.

Learning About Pytheas's Journey

The 1620 edition of Strabo's Geographica. This book helps us learn about Pytheas.

Pytheas wrote about his travels in a book that no longer exists. We only have small parts of it, quoted by later authors. Most of what we know about Pytheas comes from historians who wrote hundreds of years after his journey. These include Strabo in his book Geographica and Pliny the Elder in his Natural History.

Pytheas's book was likely called On the Ocean. It was a type of navigational guide, describing his journey by sea.

When Did Pytheas Travel?

Historians believe Pytheas's voyage happened around 330 BC. This date is based on what other ancient writers said about him.

How Pytheas Started His Journey

Pytheas was the first known sailor from the Mediterranean Sea to reach the British Isles. The Carthaginians controlled the Strait of Gibraltar, blocking ships from other nations. Some historians think Pytheas might have traveled by land to avoid this blockade. Others believe he sailed very close to the coast or took advantage of a time when the blockade was not as strict.

Another idea is that Massalia, Pytheas's home city, had a good relationship with Carthage. This might have allowed Pytheas to sail freely through the Strait of Gibraltar. Records show that Pytheas passed through the Strait and sailed north along the coast of Portugal.

Pytheas's Voyage to Britain

Sailing Around Britain

Pytheas claimed he "traveled over the whole of Britain that was accessible." He said Britain's perimeter was more than 40,000 stadia. This is about 4,545 miles. This number seemed very high to ancient writers like Strabo.

Modern experts, like explorer Fridtjof Nansen, think Pytheas might have reported days of sailing. Later writers then converted these days into stadia using a standard rate. This might have made the distance seem much longer than it was. Pytheas likely stopped often to gather information about the stars and the land.

The actual coastline of Britain is much longer than Pytheas's estimate. However, he might have measured a triangular path around the island. Some ancient writers also said Pytheas walked across Britain.

Naming and Describing the British People

Pytheas was the first to write down the word "Britain." He called the island Bretannikē. This name is similar to words used in modern Celtic languages. The word "Britain" comes from a Celtic term meaning "people of forms" or "pictures." This might refer to the ancient British practice of tattooing or painting their bodies. The Romans later called these people Picti, meaning "painted."

Pytheas likely interacted more with P-Celtic speaking people, like those in modern Wales or Brittany. He probably did not meet many Irish people, who spoke a Q-Celtic language.

Pytheas described Britain as a cold place with frosts. He said the people lived in thatched cottages. They stored their grain underground and baked bread from it. He noted they were simple and peaceful, ruled by many kings. Their soldiers fought using chariots, similar to the ancient Greeks.

The Three Corners of Britain

Pytheas described Britain as a triangle with three main points:

Kantion: This is Kent, in southeast England.
Belerion: This is Cornwall, in southwest England.
Orkas: This is likely the main island of the Orkney Islands, north of Scotland.

The Tin Trade in Cornwall

Pytheas reported that people in Cornwall made tin ingots. They mined the ore, melted it, and shaped it into pieces. This tin was then taken by wagon to an island called Ictis at low tide. Merchants bought the tin there and transported it by horse for 30 days to the Rhône river in France. From there, it was shipped down to the sea. Pytheas noted that the people of Cornwall were polite and welcoming to foreign traders.

Scotland's First Mention

Pytheas was the first to write about Scotland. He called the northern tip of Britain "Orcas," which is where the name for the Orkney Islands comes from.

Exploring Thule

Pytheas claimed he explored the northern parts of Europe "as far as the ends of the world." He called this northernmost land Thule. He said it was the most northerly of the British Isles.

Thule was described as an island six days' sail north of Britain. It was near a "frozen sea." Pytheas also noted that at midsummer, the sun did not set in Thule. This means it was located on or very close to the Arctic Circle.

Some historians believe Pytheas sailed from the Hebrides (islands west of Scotland) to the coast of Norway. If this is true, he might not have sailed all the way around Britain. Instead, he might have returned along the coast of Germany.

Life in Thule

Pytheas described the people of Thule as farmers. They ate millet, herbs, fruits, and roots. They also made a drink from grain and honey, possibly mead. He said they pounded their grain in large barns because there wasn't enough sunshine for outdoor threshing. This suggests an agricultural society that had adapted to a cold, wet climate.

Encountering Ice at Sea

After Thule, Pytheas described a "frozen ocean" one day's sail away. He called it the "Cronian Sea." He also spoke of a strange mix of land, sea, and air, like a "marine lung." This description is believed to be pancake ice, which is flat, round pieces of ice floating in the water. This ice and fog would have stopped his journey further north.

Discovering the Baltic Sea

Pytheas also described the area beyond the Rhine river, reaching as far as Scythia. This suggests he explored the Germanic coast of the Baltic Sea. He might have reached the Vistula river, which was considered the border of Greater Germany in ancient times.

Pytheas mentioned an "estuary of the Ocean" called Metuonis, where a Germanic tribe lived. He also spoke of an island called Abalus, where amber was found. Amber was carried to this island by currents in spring. The people there used it as fuel and traded it.

Voyage to the Don River

Some accounts say that after his northern journey, Pytheas sailed along the entire coast of Europe from Cádiz to the Tanais river. The Tanais river was considered the border of Scythia on the Black Sea. This suggests he might have tried to circumnavigate Europe.

Measuring Latitude

Pytheas was a skilled astronomer. He used a tool called a gnōmōn (a vertical stick) to measure the height of the sun at noon. This helped him figure out the latitude of different places.

Finding the Arctic Circle

Pytheas wanted to find the Arctic Circle and explore the "frigid zone" beyond it. He knew that at the Arctic Circle, on the longest day of the year (summer solstice), the sun would not set. He used his observations of the sun's height and the length of the longest day to determine his latitude.

He also observed the celestial pole (the point in the sky around which stars appear to rotate). In his time, the North celestial pole was not marked by a bright star like Polaris today. Pytheas described it as an empty space with three stars forming a corner around it.

Pytheas's measurements were quite accurate for his time. He was able to determine latitudes often within a degree of accuracy. This was very advanced for ancient navigation.

Understanding the Tides

Pytheas was the first person to suggest that the Moon causes tides. He observed that the tides in Britain were much higher than those in the Mediterranean Sea. He linked the rising and falling of the tides to the "filling of the moon" (full moon) and the "lessening" (new moon). While his exact explanation might have been imperfect, he made the crucial connection between the Moon and the tides.

Pytheas's Impact on History

Pytheas was a very important source of information about Northern Europe for later writers. Many famous ancient authors, like Eratosthenes and Hipparchus, used his work.

Some ancient writers, like Strabo, doubted Pytheas's stories. Strabo thought Pytheas was lying because he was a private person and might not have had the money for such a big trip. However, some modern historians believe Pytheas's journey might have been funded by the merchants of Massalia. They might have wanted him to find new trade routes and markets in the north.

Strabo also criticized Pytheas for details he thought were wrong about known regions. But often, Strabo's own understanding of geography was flawed. Pytheas, relying on his own observations, was often more accurate than those who doubted him from afar.

Because Pytheas's original writings are lost, many questions about his voyage remain. To some, he was a brave explorer. To others, he was a storyteller who exaggerated. His adventures have inspired many writers, even in modern times, appearing in poems and novels.