ography ▁contained ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁and ▁most ▁famous ▁world ▁maps . ▁Cos mas ▁was ▁a ▁pup il ▁of ▁the ▁East ▁Sy ri ac ▁Patri arch ▁Ab a ▁I ▁and ▁was ▁himself ▁a ▁follow er ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁the ▁East . ▁ ▁Vo y age ▁Ar ound ▁ 5 5 0 ▁Cos mas ▁wrote ▁the ▁once - cop iously ▁illustrated ▁Christian ▁Top ography , ▁a ▁work ▁partly ▁based ▁on ▁his ▁personal ▁experiences ▁as ▁a ▁merchant ▁on ▁the ▁Red ▁Sea ▁and ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 6 th ▁century . ▁His ▁description ▁of ▁India ▁and ▁C ey lon ▁during ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁century ▁is ▁in valu able ▁to ▁histor ians . ▁Cos mas ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁personally ▁visited ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Ax um ▁in ▁modern ▁day ▁northern ▁Eth iop ia ▁and ▁E rit rea , ▁India , ▁and ▁C ey lon . ▁ ▁Ind ic ople ust es ▁" Ind ic ople ust es " ▁means ▁" Ind ian ▁voy ager ", ▁from ▁ ▁" to ▁sail ". ▁While ▁it ▁is ▁known ▁from ▁classical ▁literature , ▁especially ▁the ▁Per i plus ▁Mar is ▁E ry th ra ei , ▁that ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁trade ▁between ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁and ▁India ▁from ▁the ▁first ▁century ▁BC ▁on wards , ▁Cos mas ' s ▁report ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁from ▁individuals ▁who ▁had ▁actually ▁made ▁the ▁journey . ▁He ▁described ▁and ▁sketch ed ▁some ▁of ▁what ▁he ▁saw ▁in ▁his ▁Top ography . ▁Some ▁of ▁these ▁have ▁been ▁copied ▁into ▁the ▁existing