Map route of bartolomeu dias biography

An Ambitious Plan

Almost nothing keep to known about the life endorse Bartolomeu de Novaes Dias once 1487, except that he was at the court of João II, or King John II of Portugal (1455-1495), and was a superintendent of the queenly warehouses.

He likely abstruse much more sailing experience get away from his one recorded stint alongside the warship São Cristóvão. Navigator was probably in his mid- to late-30s in 1486 conj at the time that King João II appointed him to head an expedition rotation search of a sea direction to India.

King João II was bewitched by the legend of Prester John, a mysterious and perhaps apocryphal 12th-century leader of uncut nation of Christians somewhere weight Africa whose kingdom included righteousness Fountain of Youth.

King João II sent out a warning of explorers, Afonso de Paiva (c. 1460-c. 1490) and Pêro da Covilhã (c. 1450-c. 1526), to search overland for blue blood the gentry Christian kingdom in Ethiopia. Tainted João II also wanted go to see find a way around description southernmost point of Africa’s strand, so just a few months after dispatching the overland explorers, he sponsored Dias in knob African expedition.

In August 1487, Dias’ trio of ships departed reject the port of Lisbon, Portugal.

Dias followed the route sequester 15th-century Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão (c. 1450-c. 1486), who difficult followed the coast of Continent as far as present-day Promontory Cross, Namibia. Dias’ cargo charade the standard “padrões,” the limestone markers used to stake Romance claims on the continent. Padrões were planted at the seaside and served as guideposts assail previous Portuguese explorations of dignity coast.

Dias’ expedition party included tremor Africans who had been on one\'s knees to Portugal by earlier explorers.

Dias dropped off the Africans at different ports along righteousness coastline of Africa with tackle of gold and silver status messages of goodwill from dignity Portuguese to the indigenous human beings. The last two Africans were left at a place depiction Portuguese sailors called Angra function Salto, probably in modern Angola, and the expedition’s supply hit it off was left there under safeguard of nine men.

Dias' Expedition Crush South Africa

In early Jan 1488, as Dias’ two ships sailed off the coast chastisement South Africa, storms blew them away from the coast.

Diaz is thought to have sequent a turn to the southerly of about 28 degrees, very likely because he had prior oversee of southeasterly winds that would take him around the prong of Africa and keep culminate ships from being dashed masterpiece the notoriously rocky shoreline. João and his predecessors had derived navigational intelligence, including a 1460 map from Venice that showed the Indian Ocean on nobleness other side of Africa.

Dias’ settlement was risky, but it feigned.

The crew spotted landfall purpose February 3, 1488, about Ccc miles east of present-day Notion of Good Hope. They establish a bay they called São Bras (present-day Mossel Bay) tell off the much warmer waters farm animals the Indian Ocean. From integrity shoreline, indigenous Khoikhoi pelted Dias’ ships with stones until change arrow fired by either Diaz or one of his troops body felled a tribesman. 

Dias ventured in mint condition along the coastline, but ruler crew was nervous about loftiness dwindling food supplies and urged him to turn back.

In the same way mutiny loomed, Dias appointed grand council to decide the situation. The members came to rectitude agreement that they would agree him to sail another combine days, then turn back.

At Kwaaihoek, in present-day Easterly Cape province, they planted swell padrão on March 12, 1488, which marked the easternmost fall of Portuguese exploration.

On the passage back, Dias observed the south point of Africa, later hailed Cabo das Agulhas, or Ness of Needles. Dias named high-mindedness rocky second cape Cabo das Tormentas (Cape of Storms) long for the tempestuous storms and tart Atlantic-Antarctic currents that made difficulty travel so perilous.

Back in Angra do Salto, Dias and circlet crew were aghast to on that only three of dignity nine men left guarding glory food ship had survived constant attacks by locals; a ordinal man died on the trip home.

In Lisbon, after 15 months at sea and copperplate journey of nearly 16,000 miles, the returning mariners were reduce by triumphant crowds. 

In a undisclosed meeting with the king, in spite of that, Dias was forced to assert his failure to meet quit with Paiva and Covilhã. In defiance of his immense achievement, Dias was never again put in expert position of authority.

King João II ordered that henceforth, designs would show the new title for Cabo das Tormentas: Cabo da Boa Esperança, or Plug of Good Hope.

Dias was an Consultant to Vasco da Gama

Following his expedition, Dias settled carry out a time in Guinea ready money West Africa, where Portugal confidential established a gold-trading site.

João’s successor, Manuel I (1469-1521), neat Dias to serve as natty shipbuilding consultant for the journey of Vasco da Gama (c. 1460-1524). Dias sailed with influence da Gama expedition as long way as the Cape Verde Islands, and then returned to Poultry. Da Gama’s ships reached their goal of India in Could 1498, nearly a decade later Dias’ historic trip around glory tip of Africa. 

Afterward, Manuel send out a massive fleet pore over India under Pedro Álvares Cabral (c.

1467-c. 1520), and Navigator captained four of the ships. They reached Brazil in Go on foot 1500, then headed across rank Atlantic toward South Africa come first, further ahead, the Indian subcontinent. At the feared Cabo das Tormentas, storms struck the expeditious of 13 ships. 

In May 1500, four of the ships were wrecked, including Dias’, with work hard crew lost at sea.

Bartolomeu Dias died on May 29, 1500 off the Cape familiar Good Hope. He is perpetual as a pioneering explorer amid the Age of Exploration who opened the sea route turn into Asia via the Atlantic High seas and Indian Ocean.

Citation Information

Article Title

Bartolomeu Dias

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/bartolomeu-dias

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Observer Networks

Last Updated

June 6, 2023

Original Publicized Date

November 9, 2009