Just this week Olympique de Marseille, the football club from Marseille which is the only French club that ever won the UEFA Champions League, qualified for the Europa League round of 32 (which will take place in February). To celebrate lets take a look at a short history of Marseille, and one of its most important historical figures: Pytheas of Massalia.

Marseille, the oldest city in France, started out as a Greek colony in roughly 600 BCE, and it was known as Massalia (a name which is still used in Greek). Pytheas of Massalia was a Greek explorer, geographer, and astronomer who lived in Massalia in the 4th century BCE. He is best known for his voyage to the British Isles, the North Sea, and the Arctic Circle, which he described in his lost work On the Ocean. His account is the earliest and most detailed source of information about the geography, climate, and peoples of northern Europe. Lets examine the route, sources, achievements, and significance of Pytheas’ voyage.

Routes Pytheas took on his voyage

Pytheas sailed from his home city of Massalia (modern Marseille), a Greek colony on the southern coast of Gaul (modern France), around 325 BCE. He was probably motivated by scientific curiosity, commercial interests, and political ambitions. Massalia was a prosperous and influential city, but also faced competition and threats from the Carthaginians, the Romans, and the Gauls. Pytheas may have wanted to explore new trade routes, find new sources of metals and other goods, and establish diplomatic contacts with northern peoples.

Pytheas first reached the Phoenician city of Gades (modern Cadiz), on the southwestern tip of Spain, where he learned about the Atlantic Ocean and the tides. He then followed the coast of Spain and Gaul, possibly visiting the island of Ierne (modern Ireland), and reached Belerion (modern Land’s End), in Cornwall, where he observed the tin mining and trade. He then crossed the sea to the island of Albion (modern Britain), and circumnavigated it, estimating its size and shape. He also explored the interior of the island, and described its climate, flora, fauna, and inhabitants. He noted the use of cereals, honey, and milk for food and drink. He also reported the existence of a large island to the north of Britain, called Thule, which he claimed to have visited. Thule was the northernmost land known to the Greeks, and Pytheas described it as a place of perpetual snow and darkness, where the sun did not set at the summer solstice.

After leaving Thule, Pytheas sailed eastward along the coast of Scandinavia, reaching the mouth of the Vistula River, on the Baltic Sea. He then turned southward, following the coast of Germany and the Netherlands, until he reached the mouth of the Rhine River. He then returned to Massalia, completing his circuit of the Ocean. His voyage lasted about three years, and covered a distance of about 20,000 kilometers.

Sources on Pytheas

Pytheas’ original work On the Ocean has not survived, and we only have fragments and quotations from later authors who referred to it. Some of these authors, such as Strabo, Pliny, and Diodorus, were skeptical or critical of Pytheas’ claims, while others, such as Polybius, Geminus, and Marcianus, were more favorable or neutral. The main sources for reconstructing Pytheas’ voyage are:

• Strabo’s Geographica, a comprehensive work on the geography of the known world, written in the 1st century BCE. Strabo quotes Pytheas extensively, but also questions his credibility and accuracy.
• Pliny’s Natural History, a vast encyclopedia of natural and human phenomena, written in the 1st century AD. Pliny cites Pytheas as an authority on various topics, such as the tides, the polar regions, and the origin of amber.
• Diodorus’ Bibliotheca Historica, a universal history from the mythical times to the 1st century BCE, written in the 1st century BCE. Diodorus summarizes Pytheas’ account of Britain and the northern islands, and also mentions his astronomical observations.
• Polybius’ Histories, a history of the Mediterranean world from the 3rd to the 2nd century BCE, written in the 2nd century BCE. Polybius confirms Pytheas’ voyage to Britain and the North Sea, and praises his scientific achievements.
• Geminus’ Introduction to the Phenomena, a treatise on astronomy and the calendar, written in the 1st century BCE. Geminus refers to Pytheas’ work On the Ocean as a source of information on the solstices, the Arctic Circle, and the midnight sun.
• Marcianus’ Periplus, a commentary on the geography of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, written in the 4th or 5th century AD. Marcianus mentions Pytheas’ work as a periplus, or a coastal sailing guide, and gives the title as Periodos Gēs, or A Circuit of the Earth.

Achievements and significance of Pytheas’ voyage

Pytheas was not only an adventurous explorer, but also a skilled navigator, a keen observer, and a pioneering scientist. He used various instruments and methods to measure distances, directions, latitudes, longitudes, and time. He also made important discoveries and contributions to the fields of geography, astronomy, and oceanography.

Pytheas’ voyage was a remarkable feat of exploration and science, and a valuable source of information and inspiration for later generations. His work On the Ocean was widely read and quoted by ancient authors, who used it for various purposes, such as geography, history, ethnography, mythology, poetry, and philosophy. Some of his readers and admirers were Eratosthenes, Posidonius, Julius Caesar, Cicero, Virgil, Plutarch, and Ptolemy. His work also influenced the development of cartography, navigation, and astronomy, and stimulated further exploration and discovery of the northern regions.

Pytheas’ voyage also had an impact on the cultural and economic relations between the Mediterranean and the northern peoples. He established contacts and trade links with the Celts, the Germans, and the Scandinavians, and introduced them to the Greek civilization and culture. He also brought back new products and resources, such as tin, amber, furs, and honey, and enriched the material and intellectual life of his city and his country.

Pytheas of Massalia was a remarkable man, who dared to venture beyond the boundaries of the known world, and to explore and describe the wonders of the ocean. He was a pioneer of geography, astronomy, and oceanography, and a master of navigation and observation. He was also a witness and a mediator of the encounter between different cultures and peoples. His voyage was one of the most important and influential events in the history of exploration and science. You can watch the videos below to learn more: