Hanno the Navigator

Hanno the Navigator (sometimes "Hannon"; , ; ) was a Carthaginian explorer (sometimes identified as a king) who lived during the fifth century BC, known for his naval expedition along the coast of West Africa.

Historians have attempted to identify specific locations along Hanno's route, based on the periplus. According to some modern analyses, his expedition could have potentially reached as far south as Gabon; still, according to other sources, he could not have sailed much farther than coastal southern Morocco. The Greek translation of Hanno's periplus account names him a basileus, a term which may be interpreted as "king", but was commonly used for other high-level Carthaginian officials.

The consensus of scholarship places Hanno as living sometime in the 5th century BC,

Herodotus Greek historian Herodotus, writing around 430 BC, described Carthaginian trade on the Moroccan coast (Histories 4.196 ), though it is doubtful whether he was aware of Hanno's voyage itself.

Singer-songwriter Al Stewart has a song about Hanno on his album Sparks of Ancient Light.

In Sid Meier's Civilization VI, players can recruit Hanno as a Great Admiral.

Historiography In the 16th century, the voyage of Hanno saw increased scholarly interest from Europeans in an age when European exploration and navigation were flourishing. Already then, the extent of Hanno's voyage was debated.