PERIPLUS of the Erythmin Sea, a book by a Greek merchant, which contains the best account of the commerce carried on in the early part of the Christian era, from the Red Sea and the coast of Africa to the E. Indies. He seems to have traded at Berenike, a great seaport in the southern extremity of Egypt, from which he made several voyages to India. It gives an account of six voyages. It describes the whole coast of the Red Sea, and of the S.E. of Arabia, and that of India from the Indus round Cape Comorin to a point high up on the coast of Coromandel, and gives accounts of the commerce carried on within those limits, and in some places beyond them. Until nearly his time, the ships from India con tinued to cross the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and creep along the shore of Arabia to the mouth of the Red Sea, but at about the time of this author, the Greeks from Egypt and the Arabs used to quit the coast soon after leaving the Red Sea, and stretch across the Indian Ocean to the Malabar coast.
Letronne supposes that the author of the voyages wrote in the time of the Emperor Septi mus Severus and his son, namely, between the years 198 and 210 of the Christian era. C. Muller gives A.D. 80 or 90. Dean Vincent supposes it to have taken place about the tenth year of the reign of Nero (A.D. 64). It was doubtless near, but subsequent to this era. The author had navigated the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the coasts of Malabar and Coromandel, and had 'resided many years at Baroach, in the court of a Hindu raja. Ile describes Arabia as having pilots, sailors, and persons following maritime pursuits. Ile mentions that large vends were navigating the Bay of Bengal to the Ganges and Chryse. See Men ; p. 107.
I'EltlYA ALVAR, a native of Villipattur. lie was one of the twelve Alvaro who flourished in the reign of Vallabadeva Pandiyan, king of Madura. Ile wrote 400 stanzas of the Nalavira Sirunantam.