Romans in sub-Saharan Africa
According to Pliny the Elder, the Greek Xenophon of Lampsacus stated that the Gorgades (Cape Verde islands) were situated two days from "Hesperu Ceras" (today called Cap-Vert), the westernmost part of the African continent, showing a knowledge of the area by the Romans. He also wrote that the sea voyage time to the Gorgades (Cape Verde islands) and the islands of the Ladies of the West ("Hesperides", modern day São Tomé and Príncipe and Fernando Po) was around 40 days. This has generated academic discussions about the possibility of further Roman travels toward modern day Guinea and even the Gulf of Guinea. A Roman coin of the emperor Trajan has been found in Congo.