Himilco
Himilco | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Explorer |
| Years active | 5th century BC |
| Known for | Naval exploration of the western coast of Europe |
| Works | Now-lost periplus about his journey |
| Family | Magonid |
Himilco (fl. early 5th century BC) was a Carthaginian navigator and explorer, cited by later Greek and Roman authors as one of the earliest explorers from the Mediterranean Sea to reach the northwestern shores of Europe. Himilco's now-lost account, sometimes referred to as the Periplus of the Northern Sea, survives only in brief notices preserved by Pliny the Elder and Avienus. According to these sources, Himilco sailed beyond the Pillars of Heracles (modern Strait of Gibraltar) along the Atlantic seaboard, probably reaching Brittany and possibly the British Isles.