From the end of the 3rd century on,with the decline of the Roman Empire,especially the rise of the Islamic Arabia,the maritime explorations to the Orient by the Romans and even all Europeans were on the whole intercepted.

• 公元三世纪末以后，随着帝国的衰落，特别是七世纪中叶阿拉伯伊斯兰势力的兴起，罗马人乃至整个欧洲从海路向东方的探索被完全阻断。