Examples of the literary tradition in Mediterranean navigation from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, specific to the Periplus, Periegesis and sea laws

With humankind's first (known) maritime activities in the Prehistoric Era, the waters of the Mediterranean became a scene of dynamic activity as a centre of interaction, consequently coming into prominence earlier than the others. Comparatively, in its passage through antiquity, the waters of the Mediterranean became territorial, waters where numbers of sailors from various nations or tribes, would often voyage from one harbour to another for a variety of reasons following a variety of routes. As time passed, commercial activities gradually increased without interruption from military and political voyages conducted at some certain intervals. In consequence of these developments, maritime navigation gained an identity as a requirement in antiquity. From this necessity, sailors who obtained competency and experience particular to the routes they traversed, began to transfer from the oral tradition into a written record their own observations and fund of experience and knowledge. The intention was initially entirely based upon practical concerns; due to the need to report through written documents the difficulties and dangers at the sea to all the sailors. The scope of this was extended within this process and fashioned to meet the particularities of sailors' needs, and adjusted from the start to accord with various demands. Consequently, sailors began to keep records concerning such varied topics as the forms of the seas, significant currents and riverine flows, navigable rivers, communities that were settled-settling onshore, the coastal topography, vegetation and animal population, and established some rules and principles amongst mariners. All of these developments resulted in an extensive and significant maritime corpus in antiquity, and this literary heritage continued to develop into the Middle Ages. From the context outlined above, this study aims to examine the literary heritage of Mediterranean navigation under the title of "Examples of the Literary Tradition in Mediterranean Navigation from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, specific to the Periplus, Periegesis and Sea Laws", and to make comprehensive evaluations as to the function and position of the texts examined under this main title, within studies concerning maritime history. Within the context of this evaluation, three different group of texts with the titles of periplus (sailing report), periegesis (travel book) and the Rhodian Sea Law are examined thematically. As a result of the translation and evaluation of these texts it is suggested that ancient maritime history studies can be aided through the philological data obtained from these texts, in addition to the archaeological data obtained from the remains of material culture. The translations of these four different texts make available information to scientists and researchers studying a variety of matters in various fields.