A Brief Activity on Hanno's Periplus
In the early years of the fifth century BC, a Carthaginian admiral named Hanno sailed through the Pillars of Hercules and along the western coast of Africa, establishing trading posts and jotting down notes about his encounters along the way. Upon returning to Carthage, an account of his voyage was set up in a temple, and translated into Greek at some later point by an anonymous scribe. This short text has fortunately survived into the present, and provides a fascinating narrative of an early voyage of exploration. It also allows us the rare opportunity to listen to a story told by the Carthaginians themselves.
An English translation of this text with commentary is readily available online, and it makes an excellent supplement to a lesson concerning ancient geography, or even simply the Carthaginians. I have included below a couple of worksheets which I use when my students read the account. For the second worksheet, the students have to attempt to plot the path of Hanno’s voyage along with those of a diverse group of other early explorers, such as Leif Erikson, Ibn Battuta, and Zhang He; in doing so, they will perceive not only how extensive journeys of exploration and trade could be in antiquity, but also that the desire to possess a fuller understanding of the world and its culture is in no way unique to Europe. I have included, in addition, the brief mention of Hanno’s journey which can be found in Pliny. After reading the Latin text, you may wish to ask your students if Pliny’s language suggests that he finds Hanno to be a reliable source.
Hanno Worksheet 1
Hanno Worksheet 2
Pliny on Hanno’s Voyage