Work / monument · text

Periplus of the Erythraean Sea

mid-1st century CE · 1st century · Also known as Periplus

The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea is a Greek guide to navigation and trade in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, written in the mid-1st century CE. It describes ports and goods from Egypt to East Africa and India. It contains the earliest historical mention of Aksum and its king Zoskales, and documents the trade connecting the Roman Empire to India and Africa.

Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
Image: PHGCOM · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 5 profiles

Aksumite EmpireFoundationRoman EmpireSocioeconomyKushan EmpireSocioeconomyHimyarite KingdomSocioeconomySatavahana dynastySocioeconomy

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Kingdom of HadramawtEarly Cheras

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/periplus-of-the-erythraean-sea
MLA
“Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/periplus-of-the-erythraean-sea. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/periplus-of-the-erythraean-sea.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Periplus of the Erythraean Sea’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/periplus-of-the-erythraean-sea (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻