How easy was it to get lost at sea back in the day? During Roman and Greek periods. Or how did Columbus stumble upon America without getting lost? Highly doubt he just set out in a straight direction. (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by Patnou@lemmy.world to c/askhistorians@lemmy.world

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How did Columbus and his crew not give up after a while with no sight of land?

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[-] nocturne@slrpnk.net 4 points 2 days ago

how did Columbus stumble upon America without getting lost?

He was lost, he was sailing for the Orient. He grossly misunderestimated the circumference of the world.

this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2026

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