The Role of the Physical Environment in Ancient Greek Seafaring

Abstract

for their support, advice, and goodwill, which has continued unabated since I embarked on my Ph.D., and without which I would have lost my bearings long ago. Like the navigators who are the focus of this thesis, I have often reassessed my position and my outlook, and have made various changes of direction during my journey over the past five years, and here again I must acknowledge the help of all of those guides whose local knowledge, whether academic or geographic, has helped me to steer my course, and whose hospitality has greeted me at various ports of call: Chris Cassels, Dr. Betsy Gebhard, John and family in Emborio (Chios), Niko Laos and family in Athens and in the Mani, Ian Morrison, Haydar Namli, the Odyssey flotilla, Bill Phelps, Rob Schumacher, Ann Thomas, and all those other friends who have made my time in Edinburgh and in Greece so rewarding. In addition I am grateful to the administrators of the Hector and Elizabeth Catling Bursary, and of the George C. Scott Fund, without whose help my visits to Greece would have been far shorter and far fewer.

The 4th-Century-BC Mazotos Shipwreck, Cyprus: a preliminary report

“…In any case, it is already clear that when it sank it still carried most if not all of its Aegean cargo. From various sources we know that commercial shipping generally avoided navigation in the winter, although it cannot be excluded (Casson, 1959: 39; Rougé, 1981: 15–17; Pryor, 1988: 87–9; Morton, 2001: 255). If we accept that meteorological phenomena have not changed considerably since the Iron Age, we can examine the impact of weather conditions and sea currents on the main trunk‐routes during antiquity.…”

“…As Morton (2001: 158–9) has demonstrated, ‘many factors (physical, human, technical) were taken into account before the ancient mariners decided on coastal or open sea sailing’. Sailing along the south coast of Cyprus during the summer depended heavily on the prevailing westerly winds (Murray, 1995: 39).…”

The Specialized Religions of Ancient Mediterranean Seafarers

“…While away from port, isolated promontory shrines were visible to sailors in their voyages between harbors. These shrines served sacral and functional purposes: they continued the link between seafarer and holy patrons away from port, served as landmarks for navigation, and typically marked the location of freshwater sources (Semple 1927;Morton 2001). Promontory shrines of the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans are detailed by classical authors in locations from the eastern littoral of the Mediterranean to the Atlantic shores of Spain (Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War III.94.2, VI.3.1-2, VI.44.2-3, VII.26.2; Apollonius Rhodius, The Argonautica IV.1693; Livy XXIV.3.3-7).…”

“…While away from the safety of port, sailors ensured continued contact with their protective deities through the dedication of promontories to their sacred patrons and the construction of shrines on headlands (Semple 1927;Morton 2001). These sacred locals and structures were a focus of seafarers' cultic activity from the water, and may have marked landing spots where ritual needs could be looked after, as well as profane activities such as the gathering of fresh water.…”

“…This was likely because of the deity's powers over granting success, a trait that may have been shared by another type of deity, an underworld god who was a protector of travelers and merchants and a guardian of sea voyages and mariners. Classical sources demonstrate that numerous promontories, islands, and harbors were dedicated to the chthonic deity Herakles and to his Phoenician counterpart, the god Milqart (Semple 1927;Göttlicher 1981;Morton 2001). Ships were also named after these gods, and sacrifices were made to ask for their protection before setting sail and for thanksgiving after safe arrival.…”