Ancient Somalia, 70 C.E.

[James Dahl]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... rn70ad.png

I've been trying to connect up the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea with historical sites and probable locations as described in the Periplus.

These are of course the Greek names for these towns, which are often quite different from the native ones. The use of "Berber" in the Periplus does not neccisarily connect with the well known modern usage of the word, for north African peoples.

The towns correspond on the map with:
Avalites: Zeila or nearby
Malao: Berbera or nearby
Mundus: By a circular bay near Karin, behind the little island in the center of the bay.
Mosyllon: Either Geilweite or Mait
Aromata: East of Damo, right on the tip of the horn of Africa.
Tabae: Somewhere on the Ras Hafun peninsula
Pano: A village located somwhere near Bandar Beyla
Opone: Somewhere close to Eyl.

Sarapion: A town beyond the "barren bluffs and beaches of Azania" (a reference to Mudug and Galgadud coasts) and a considerable distance from Opone. Likely this is the Sabaean town of Shingani.

Nicon: The next town down the coast, Baraawe was also originally a Sabaean trade post and is likely the town the greeks called Nicon.

[Advocatar]

woow, interesting.....I like when you post history rather then maps, great peice jamac dahir! :up:

[The-Screw]

This topic was alerted to SATA (Somalinet Anti-Terrorism Agency).

[James Dahl]

Thanks :)
If you're interested, there's a translation of the whole Puriplus here
http://www.earth-history.com/India/periplus.htm

Reading about the trade routes through the "Berber Coast", Somalia was very rich, they were importing all kinds of luxuries in exchange for incense and gum arabic.

[PosH]

I thought Ras Hafun was said to the location of Opone?! Whatever.

[James Dahl]

I heard that too, but it contradicts the Puriplus:

"Beyond this place, the coast trending toward the south, there is the Market and Cape of Spices, an abrupt promontory, at the very end of the Berber coast toward the east. The anchorage is dangerous at times from the ground-swell, because the place is exposed to the north. A sign of an approaching storm which is peculiar to the place, is that the deep water becomes more turbid and changes its color. When this happens they all run to a large promontory called Tabae, which offers safe shelter. There are imported into this market town the things already mentioned; and there are produced in it cinnamon (and its different varieties, gizir, asypha, areho, iriagia, and moto) and frankincense."

"Beyond Tabae, after four hundred stadia, there is the village of Pano. And then, after sailing four hundred stadia along a promontory, toward which place the current also draws you, there is another market-town called Opone, into which the same things are imported as those already mentioned, and in it the greatest quantity of cinnamon is produced, (the arebo and moto), ind slaves of the better sort, which are brought to Egypt in increasing numbers; and a great quantity of tortoiseshell, better than that found elsewhere."

The largest promontory (and even today a safe haven during storms) is Ras Hafun. Even if it wasn't, Opone is described as being at least 800 Stadia away from the tip of the horn, which is, depending on your unit of measure, between 125 and 200 kilometers. Ras Hafun is barely a third of that distance.

Hobyo however is too far, so Opone is more likely a town between the two, like Eyl or nearby.

[James Dahl]

A chinese map depicting Asia circa 600 ad shows some of these towns as well:
http://map.huhai.net/26-27.jpg

[Emperor_kuzco]

Thanks a lot James but, what does Azania mean?

[KeligiiJabhad]

an ancient Somalia Map of 70 C.E.? interesting!

[James Dahl]

[quote="Emperor_kuzco"]Thanks a lot James but, what does Azania mean?[/quote]
No idea, the Puriplus does not explain the names. It seems to be the Greek name for the east African coast. The Red Sea coast of Somalia being called the "Berber Coast".

[James Dahl]

Aha! A quick search as revealed it.

"In Greek mythology, Azan was the son of Arcas and Erato. Azania in Arcadia was named for him."

It probably sounded similar to a place in Greece with the same name. It's real name was perhaps Al Azaniyya.

[James Dahl]

Wikipedia has numerous theories on the name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azania

"More recently, G.W.B. Huntingford offered two suggestions for the origin of the word. The first was from the Arabic `ajam ("foreigner, non-Arab"). The second, which he favors, comes from the Greek azainein ("to dry, parch"), which fits his identification of Azania with the arid coastline of modern Somalia."