O SUDESTE ASIÁTICO NA SUMA ORIENTAL DE TOMÉ PIRES
This article analyzes the representation of Southeast Asia in Tomé Pires's *Suma Oriental*, considered the first major European geographical treatise on Asia after the opening of the sea route to India. Through a historiographical approach, the author explores the intellectual and biographical profi...
Saved in:
| Published in: | Review of Culture |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Articles |
| Published: |
Instituto Cultural de Macau
October 2002
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40004/2696 |
| Summary: | This article analyzes the representation of Southeast Asia in Tomé Pires's *Suma Oriental*, considered the first major European geographical treatise on Asia after the opening of the sea route to India. Through a historiographical approach, the author explores the intellectual and biographical profile of Tomé Pires, a trained apothecary and career diplomat, highlighting his "curiosity" and "discretion" as noted by 16th-century chroniclers. The study examines the cultural influences and sources that shaped Pires's writing, from his education at the court of King John II of Portugal to his practical experience as factor of the drug trade in the Orient from 1511 onward. It is argued that Pires's work transcends mere administrative compilation, constituting a detailed empirical observation of the geopolitical, commercial, and botanical realities of the region. The conclusion is that the *Suma Oriental* represents a milestone in the transition from medieval cosmography to modern geography, offering a pioneering and systematic view of the trade networks of Southeast Asia in the early 16th century, grounded in a balance between humanistic erudition and technical-scientific knowledge. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1682-1106 |