Daniel Kamari

The article is devoted to the controversial issue of the reliability of the Herodotus’ account about Coleus’ journey to the Iberian Peninsula. This passage is often referred to when early contacts of the Greeks with the Iberian Peninsula are discussed, regardless of the degree of the story’s truthfulness. Much in this passage is doubtful, because it does not coincide with the data of archaeology and the information of other sources. It is curious that apart from Herodotus no one else mentions the travels of Samians to Tartessos. On the basis of these mismatches the author concludes that Coleus’ travel to the Tartessan harbor is of mythical nature.