How long does it take to sail across the Aegean?

How many days or weeks does it take to sail from the coast of Southern Greece (Athens) to the coast of Turkey? How long does it take to sail from Macedonia to Rhodes?

I ask these questions, because, as an American, my understanding of distance in Europe is not native. I can think in terms of approximate sizes based upon comparisons to places that I have lived, but since I do not live in Europe, I cannot really know what the actual distances are. For example, Arizona, where I reside, is slightly larger than Italy (and Italy has 10 times the population), and Montana, where I have also lived, has about the same land area as Britain (Britain has 60 times the population in that case). It takes me most of a day to drive across either state, but that is useless in allowing me pre-modern transportation estimates. It would likely take me weeks to walk across either state, just as it would to walk across either country that is used in comparison.

So for game comparison, how long does it take to sail (non motorized) across the Aegean Sea that separates Greece and Turkey. One week? Two, Three, More?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Aegean_Sea.png

IIRC from a book, it took 15 days to sail from Brundisium to Alexandria with a cargo ship (good weather circumstances I presume) during Augustus' days. So that's three or four times the longest distance across the Aegean.

Depends on prevailing winds (and thus time of year) too. If you can use sail, rather than relying purely on oars, times can be cut drastically.

So maybe three to five days if the weather is good...

That's a ship from then though. A caravel from the 1400's or a clipper from the 1800's could do it even faster.

2-3 days tops.

The distances involved aren't all that great. It was the weather that would be taken into account, first and foremost.

Salonika - Crete would take a little longer.

Crete isn't exactly in the Aegean in my geographical book.

It's northern shore is.

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Originally Posted by Irishmafia2020

I ask these questions, because, as an American, my understanding of distance in Europe is not native. I can think in terms of approximate sizes based upon comparisons to places that I have lived, but since I do not live in Europe, I cannot really know what the actual distances are. For example, Arizona, where I reside, is slightly larger than Italy (and Italy has 10 times the population), and Montana, where I have also lived, has about the same land area as Britain (Britain has 60 times the population in that case). It takes me most of a day to drive across either state, but that is useless in allowing me pre-modern transportation estimates. It would likely take me weeks to walk across either state, just as it would to walk across either country that is used in comparison.

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You need to review your geography as well. Arizona might be large but it reaches nowhere near large European States. Montana, however, surpasses some large European States (I think both the UK and Italy). Do not forget that even the land-time distance is affected by terrain and infrastructure, and those two are very different from American midwest, to Europe.

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Originally Posted by Jolt

You need to review your geography as well. Arizona might be large but it reaches nowhere near large European States. Montana, however, surpasses some large European States (I think both the UK and Italy). Do not forget that even the land-time distance is affected by terrain and infrastructure, and those two are very different from American midwest, to Europe.

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Arizona is larger than Britain and is not in de Midwest. You need to review your geography. :smash:

It isn't in the Midwest? I have to confess, unless the Midwest is some type of state convention I'd put Arizona in the Midwest, since it is in the West, but not on the coast. And yes, Arizona is bigger than the UK. American Geography isn't my forte, to be honest. >_>

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Originally Posted by Jolt

It isn't in the Midwest? I have to confess, unless the Midwest is some type of state convention I'd put Arizona in the Midwest, since it is in the West, but not on the coast. And yes, Arizona is bigger than the UK. American Geography isn't my forte, to be honest. >_>

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The Midwest is the area around the Great Lakes. Chicago and stuff. Arizona is what I would actually include in the West Coast, historically and culturally.

If you're Odysseus, crossing the Aegean takes a whole lifetime. :clown:
For most people during the EB timeframe, I woud amagine it would take a week at the very most.

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Originally Posted by MarcusAureliusAntoninus

If you're Odysseus, crossing the Aegean takes a whole lifetime. :clown:

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Wasn't it nine years or something like that? Oh, and you have to admit that Ithaka is in the Adria and not the Aegean, so that it is really, really far away :yes:

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Originally Posted by Lysimachos

Wasn't it nine years or something like that? Oh, and you have to admit that Ithaka is in the Adria and not the Aegean, so that it is really, really far away :yes:

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Well, if we go through Lisbon's mythical foundation, Odysseus sure was lost. Lisbon's ancient name "Olissipo" was said to have been founded by Odysseus, since we call him Ulisses (Olisses = Olissipo). Some say he went to Italy, some say to Iberia, I say... What about...ALIEN ABDUCTION? :o

I once saw a map someone drew up showing his course and the locations of all the places and it showed him going to Pontos, sailing up the Danube, then crossing Illyria, and going to Italy. Don't know where the ideas for the map came from...

I'm pretty sure he did cross the strait of Sikilia (Scylla and Charybdis) and Kirke could have been at the Balearic Islands. Who knows? -shrug-

So, with really bad navigation it can take a while...

Yeah, especially when you drink too much Thracian wine and smoke weird stuff you sacked in Troy. You get to think of weird stories about chicks that turn people into swines and a God of Winds that gave you a magic bag.

Though, getting chased out of town by those steppe men was definitely not fueled by grass and booze.