Why do they say 'sail the seven seas'?

Question

Why do they say 'sail the seven seas'?

Answer 1

yes, finally 1 I have done. ah matey, and not just sailed but dived

Answer 2

I have often wondered this myself. Thank you

Answer 3

Dave M is correct.  "The Ancient Mariners"  didn't know squat about the rest of the planet because as far as they were concerned, those 7 seas and the land masses around them WAS the world. Just check out any number of ancient sea charts.  They're mostly circular, primarily composed of the Eurasian area and completely surrounded by dragons and serpents... oh yeah, and the odd grampus too.

Answer 4

Yup Dave is correct.

Answer 5

Sadly, the first three answers are wrong.

I quote:

"In the Ancient World traditionally there were seven seas.

The Red Sea, the Mediterranean, the Persian Gulf, the Black Sea, The Adriatic sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Indian Ocean."

It's a Nautical expression akin to globetrotting...or travelling the world by sea. To sail every ocean.

Answer 6

I don't care what that book quotes, I don't believe Dave M is correct, I think the other answers are better.  Does Dave M realize that the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea are both landlocked?!!  They are basically huge lakes, thats all.  Do you think the ancient explorers were concerned about sailing around a lake - no they mapped those out quickly!  They were concerned with the vastness of the worlds oceans.  By the way, there are 7 continents, and the 7 seas were related to this by the worlds global navigation of oceans.

Answer 7

long ago they stated "I've sailed the seven seas,"  However, today, the equivilant would be: North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, Indian, Antarctic, and Arctic Oceans.

Answer 8

the Seven Seas, ancient mariner's expression referring to all the oceans of the world, specifically the North and South Atlantic, the North and South Pacific, the Indian, the Arctic, and the Southern oceans