Periplus of the Erythraean Sea

The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea is a first-century Greek-language guide describing ports, trade goods, and sailing routes around the Red Sea and western Indian Ocean.

Berenice Troglodytica: An ancient Egyptian Red Sea port used for trade with Arabia, East Africa, and India. The Periplus describes Berenice as a key departure point for voyages south and east.
Erythraean Sea: An ancient geographical name for waters encompassing the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and parts of the Indian Ocean. The title uses this broad ancient name for the maritime region the guide surveys.
Roman–Indian relations: Political and commercial contacts between the Roman world and South Asian states and communities. The guide is a rare contemporary witness to these contacts and their trading routes.
Pepper trade: The long-distance commerce in pepper, especially black pepper from India's Malabar Coast, across Eurasia. Pepper appears among the valuable Indian exports described in the guide.
Myos Hormos: An ancient Egyptian port on the Red Sea that connected Egypt with maritime trade routes to India. The guide names Myos Hormos among the Egyptian ports linked to Indian Ocean commerce.
Periplus: An ancient sailing document describing a coastline, ports, and distances for maritime travel. The work belongs to this practical genre of coastal navigation writing.
Roman trade with India: The exchange of Roman and Mediterranean goods for commodities from the Indian subcontinent during antiquity. Its cargo lists and ports document the scale and reach of this commerce.
Roman glass: Glass vessels and objects produced in the Roman world and circulated through ancient trade networks. The text lists glassware among goods carried toward Indian markets.
Muziris: An ancient port on India's Malabar Coast, known as a major destination for Roman-era maritime trade. The Periplus details the goods and overseas merchants associated with this Indian port.
Koine Greek: The widespread common form of Greek used across the eastern Mediterranean and Near East in antiquity. The guide's language placed its information within a broadly connected commercial culture.

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