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A comment on Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985). Parent comment

Re:Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985) by nonbel on Saturday April 27, 2019 @12:06PM (#19766182)
According to Aristotle the Carthagineans had a secret island they treated as a military secret. It fits a description of the Americas:

> "In the sea outside the Pillars of Hercules they say that an island was discovered by the Carthaginians, desolate, having wood of every kind, and navigable rivers, and admirable for its fruits besides, but distant several days' voyage from them. But when the Carthaginians often came to this island because of its fertility, and some even dwelt there, the magistrates of the Carthaginians gave notice that they would punish with death those who should sail to it, and destroyed all the inhabitants. lest they should spread the report about it, or a large number might gather together to the island in their time, get possession of the authority, and destroy the prosperity of the Carthaginians."

http://www.archive.org/stream/demirabilibusaus00arisrich#pag...

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Re:Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985) by ivanbakel on Saturday April 27, 2019 @12:14PM (#19766230)
It fits a description of the Americas in that it lies in the Atlantic (beyond "the Pillars of Hercules", the Gibraltar Strait). I think anything beyond that is a massive stretch.
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Re:Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985) by nonbel on Saturday April 27, 2019 @12:52PM (#19766420)
It says navigable rivers. Most islands don't have that.
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Re:Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985) by fwip on Saturday April 27, 2019 @01:43PM (#19766683)
I think the Americas are more than several days travel from Carthage.
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Re:Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985) by nonbel on Saturday April 27, 2019 @02:15PM (#19766850)
I don't know the original term used, but in greek the same word translates to "several" and "some": https://translate.google.com/#view=home&op=translate&sl=el&t...

So could have been "some days' voyage".

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Re:Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985) by elif on Saturday April 27, 2019 @02:35PM (#19766937)
Correct. Sailing the Atlantic back then took over a month.

12 days was only achieved in 1905, and the official route is far shorter than a sail from Carthage.

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Re:Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985) by namenotrequired on Saturday April 27, 2019 @12:21PM (#19766270)
Are there any other places that fit the description ?
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Re:Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985) by Mbioguy on Saturday April 27, 2019 @12:26PM (#19766292)
Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira
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Re:Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985) by nonbel on Saturday April 27, 2019 @12:51PM (#19766419)
Those have navigable rivers?
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Re:Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985) by rjsw on Saturday April 27, 2019 @01:32PM (#19766618)
British Isles ?
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Re:Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985) by nonbel on Saturday April 27, 2019 @02:16PM (#19766854)
Perhaps. Weren't they already known at that time though?

>"Britain was known to the Classical world; the Greeks, Phoenicians and Carthaginians traded for Cornish tin in the 4th century BC." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Britain

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Re:Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985) by rjsw on Saturday April 27, 2019 @02:45PM (#19766980)
That desn't fit with the idea that you don't go past the Pillars of Hercules though.
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Re:Underwater Exploring Is Banned in Brazil (1985) by nonbel on Saturday April 27, 2019 @05:01PM (#19767598)
Whose idea is that?
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