I’m sure that once they realized that they could cuts weeks off a journey from Greece to Italy by navigating straight there as opposed to putzing all the way around the Adriatic, they happily set off across the open ocean. The ancient world was lacking modern technology, but they weren’t stupid.
Absolutely. You cut straight across until you pickup a familiar lighthouse or landmark on the opposite coast. Much safer & quicker than hugging a coastline where a sudden storm or windshift might drive you up onto the rocks.
Exactly. By the 3rd century? They had been direct sailing for centuries, I believe I read.
The discovery doesn’t “challenge” anything like the writer is asserting...Romans sailed all over the place....
http://historylink102.com/Rome/roman-ships.htm