THE BIRTH OF THE MONSOON WINDSOn the Existence and Understanding of Hippalus, and the ‘Discovery’ of the non-Apogeous Trade Winds

Scott HatcherMemorial University of Newfoundland

http://www.tower.comhttp://www.oxforddnb.com

Historical eras defined by a person

“The first person who ventured to quit the ordinary route by the mouth of the Persian

Gulf, and to steer across the open sea from the promontory of Sygarus to India, was a Greek navigator named Hippalus, who availed himself of the periodical blowing of the south-west monsoon for that purpose.”

“Hippalus is one of the great names in the history of navigation. Without his discovery, or at least his popularization of the

monsoon as a dependable aid to deep-sea voyaging, regular trade with India would have been impossible. ”

1897

1955

Modern associations

http://www.hippalus.com/

http://butterfliesofamerica.com/t/Cogia_h_hippalus_a.htm http://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/lunar_orbiter/bin/srch_nam.shtml?Hippalus|0

Renewed scrutiny

Crossings: Early Mediterranean Contacts with India, ed. F. deRomanis and A. Tchernia (New Delhi: Manohar, 1997)

“as far back as 1879, Kennedy stressed that the monsoon was common knowledge long before the disputed date when the Greeks, toward the end of the

Hellenistic era or at the beginning of the Roman Empire, are supposed to have experienced it.”

Purpose of the paper

Assess the primary evidence…

Then argue that:1) The scarcity and disagreement of the primary

evidence is absent in the modern historiography.

2) Also, that Hippalus, despite reservations, offers interesting information on themes of Indian - Roman trade relations and history.

The myth of Hippalus has value in itself, separate from its historical accuracy.

PRIMARY SOURCESHow do we know about Hippalus?

Periplus Maris Erythraei

• All translations from a 10th century manuscript.• Vulgar (koine) Greek -> merchant class author.• ~ 40 – 70 AD

•Incredibly rich account of trading wares and locations along the northern Indian Ocean coast.

CEStrabo 24-7

BCEPME

40-70 CE ?Pliny’s NH

77 CE

Periplus Maris Erythraei

The PME’s Three Trade Routes

Casson, L., “The Sea Route to India: Periplus Maris Erythraei 57,” The Classical Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 2 (1984), pp. 473-479.

L. Casson (1984)

‘the w

inds we ca

ll etes

ian’3 days sail

Pliny the Elder’s Natural History

The PME’s Three Trade Routes

Casson, L., “The Sea Route to India: Periplus Maris Erythraei 57,” The Classical Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 2 (1984), pp. 473-479.

L. Casson (1984)

‘the w

inds we ca

ll etes

ian’3 days sail

Alexander the Great

Route to Sigerus

Desire for gain brought India nearer

1

2

3

TIM

E

Pliny the Elder’s Natural History

The PME’s Three Trade Routes

Casson, L., “The Sea Route to India: Periplus Maris Erythraei 57,” The Classical Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 2 (1984), pp. 473-479.

L. Casson (1984)

‘the w

inds we ca

ll etes

ian’3 days sail

Alexander the Great

Route to Sigerus

Desire for gain brought India nearer

1

2

3

TIM

E

Sea named Hippodos or Hippalon

Pliny’s eras

Problem…

“Hippalus is one of the great names in the history of navigation.

10th century manuscript.Single mention.Continues to be debated.

http://www.stephan-selle.de/page8/page22/page26/page28/page28.html

http://www.tower.com

1000 years

Discussion so far…

DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEWInherently inconclusive, but can be thought of differently.

Discussion

Discussion

Discussion

Discussion

Conclusion

• Purely Western historical sources.

1. Hippalus only found once, wind found twice.

2. Pliny’s silence

3. Tchernia: Non-existence

4. Worth of understanding in the establishment and survival of the myth.

5. Roman conceptualization of a distant trade.

THANK YOUQuestions?

Acknowledgements:• Dr. Donna Trembinksi, History Dept., St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, Canada.• Society for the History of Discoveries.• USM, Osher Map Library.• Portland, Maine.