Colaeus

By scope of his activities, Colaeus was a representative of a long distance Greek merchant who ran a business throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Most likely he was the man of a substantial wealth who acted as owner of the ship, captain and trader combined, obviously well acquainted with seafaring and market conditions.

According to Herodotus, Colaeus was the first Greek that had arrived at Tartessos circa 640 BC and opened the metal trade in the west. Allegedly, he was on a venture to Egypt when he was blown off course by the great storm and ended up in the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar reaching Tartessus in south western Spain. It was commonly believed in those times that Colaeus shrewdly invented the storm to protect his trade route from his competitors.

Tartessos was previously unvisited by traders and Colaeus obtained a cargo of metal which was safely transported to Samos. Upon his return, he dedicated one tenth of his profits to his native goddess, Hera.

In the era where most Greek traders were anonymous, mention of Colaeus and Sostratus of Aegina by the historian Herodotus serves as a testimony of their achievements and it is a valuable contribution to knowledge of the business life of Ancient Greece.