Cassiterides

The Kassiteriden (Greek Κασσίτερος Kassiteros, latin Cassiterides insulae ) were in ancient geography, a legendary group of islands off of the British coast.

An alternative German name is Tin Islands, because there allegedly were tin mines, which were first visited by the Phoenicians. As a major trading center for the tin trade an island Iktis is called, under which one suspects the Isle of Wight.

The ancient Greek geographer Strabo describes the islands in his major work Geographica follows:

Among the ancient authors, who called Kassiteriden include, among others:

  • Herodotus 3.115
  • Posidonius
  • Diodorus 5.21f, 5:38
  • Pliny the Elder, Natural History 4119, 7197, 34156-158
  • Strabo 2.5.15, 3.2.9, 3.5.11
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