The
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea or
Periplus of the Red Sea (, ) is a
Greco-Roman periplus, written in
Greek, describing navigation and
trading opportunities from
Roman Egyptian ports like
Berenice along the coast of the
Red Sea, and others along
Northeast Africa and the
Sindh and South western
India. The text has been ascribed to different dates between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE, but a mid-1st century date is now the most commonly accepted. Although the author is unknown, it is clearly a firsthand description by someone familiar with the area and is nearly unique in providing accurate insights into what the ancient European world knew about the lands around the
Indian Ocean.