Kolaios

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alois Düll , Kolaios figure as a facade figure at the Natural History Museum in Vienna

Kolaios ( Greek  Κωλαῖος ; Latin Colaeus ) was a Greek trader, navigator and ship owner from Samos .

According to Herodotus (Hdt. IV 152) he got caught in a storm on a journey from Greece to Egypt and was taken behind the " Pillars of Heracles ", ie. H. the Strait of Gibraltar, driven. He was the first Greek to land in the port of Tartessos , that silver-rich city near present-day Cádiz . There Kolaios was able to close an extremely profitable trade, so that he returned home with a profit of 60 talents . He used a tenth of the profit to make a griffin kettle, which he donated to the Hera temple in Samos as a consecration gift .

The travelogue of Kolaios is considered to be authentic by researchers, especially due to the findings of West Phoenician ivory combs in Samos. As a rule, the trip is made to the 630s BC. Dated.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Kolaios
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Colaeus (Latinized)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek navigator and trader
DATE OF BIRTH 7th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 7th century BC Chr.