04-24-2008, 09:03 PM
Quote:I have also never heard any roman accounts of anything bellow the Berbers and Moors.
Probably because there is nothing there? Voyages are expensive and if there is no real market why go? Exploration for the sake of exploration is actually an indulgence that is done on a limited basis because of the tax base. The moon trips are an example. If anything of real value had been found we would be living there now.
There was a fairly well attested endeavor by Hatsheptsut (XVIII Dynasty) that consisted of five ship that went to Punt in what is probably now Somalia. The Egyptian account, which probably exaggerates a bit, lists great quantities of exotic goods including, myrrh, gold, and exotic trees. Since the initial contact was profitable, contact was maintained for some time, since the Egyptians and their products were well received.
It may be significant that Hanno didn't find anything worth going back for and that got around very quickly. Venture capitalism always seems to underlie a lot of altruistic exploration or research done for the sake of furthering knowledge, contrary to what the PR dept. would have you believe. Plus the common sense approach that it is not a good career move to sail off the edge of the world.
R. Izard
