The exploration of the North African Atlantic coast according to the Periplus of Hanno of Carthage

Abstract

The Periplus of Hanno, against the proposals that interpret it as a literary work, we believe that reflects a real voyage, which only reached Cape Juby and some of the Canary Islands. The Carthaginian new foundations were all in fertile Mauretania, in the first 7 days of the expedition. From the island of Kérne, took priority a first exploration of evaluation, indicating that it was just 2 or 3 ships with a limited crew, who avoided confrontations with the local population. The interpreters Lixítai knew all the regions explored: the river Chrétes, the Ethiopians of the coastal High Atlas, the great warm Gulf that ended in Hespérou Kéras, the volcano Theôn Óchema, or the savage people which they called Goríllai. Probably the biggest surprise was to find an active volcano, emitting lava, which could be the ultimate reason for writing the Periplus. The lack of water, food and hunting as reason to finish the exploratory expedition is only understandable in a short voyage that reached up the beginning of the Sahara desert. The same applies to the absence of major rivers south of the river Chrétes, a clear proof that no equatorial latitudes were reached and the ships were away from the North African coast.