Christophe Colomb citations

Christophe Colomb , né entre le 26 août et le 31 octobre 1451 sur le territoire de la république de Gênes, et mort le 20 mai 1506 à Valladolid, en Espagne, est un navigateur au service des monarques catholiques espagnols Isabelle de Castille et Ferdinand d'Aragon.

Christophe Colomb n'est pas le premier à mettre le pied en Amérique. L’être humain a migré en Amérique probablement depuis l’Asie, il y a de cela 13 000 à 40 000 ans. Ce n'est pas non plus le premier navigateur à traverser l'océan Atlantique depuis l'Europe, des fouilles archéologiques ont établi que des peuples européens comme les Vikings ou des pêcheurs basques, normands et bretons avaient déjà eu connaissance de ce nouveau continent.

En revanche, Christophe Colomb fut celui qui, en cherchant une nouvelle route vers les Indes orientales , inaugura une longue période d'exploration des Européens vers le continent américain. Il est aussi celui qui le premier aurait documenté ses voyages vers l'Amérique, même si le texte n'est pas sûr.

Il effectue en tout quatre voyages en tant que navigateur pour le compte des souverains espagnols, qui le nomment avant son premier départ amiral, vice-roi des Indes et gouverneur général des territoires qu'il découvrirait. La découverte des Caraïbes marque le début de la colonisation de l'Amérique par les Européens et fait de Colomb un acteur majeur des grandes découvertes des XVe et XVIe siècles. Son premier voyage est retenu par l'historiographie de la civilisation occidentale comme l'événement majeur marquant le passage du Moyen Âge aux temps modernes .

Christophe Colomb accoste sur une île du continent américain pour la première fois dans la nuit du 11 au 12 octobre 1492. Il faudra cependant attendre son troisième voyage pour qu'il découvre effectivement le continent lui-même, le 5 août 1498, au Venezuela actuel. Il meurt le 20 mai 1506, moins de deux ans après sa quatrième et dernière expédition en Amérique, toujours persuadé d'avoir atteint les Indes orientales, le but originel de son expédition.

Les historiens dressent le portrait d'un marin hors pair, mais piètre politicien. Le personnage est controversé du fait de son comportement envers les peuples autochtones. Ses prérogatives sur les terres découvertes ont été contestées par le roi Ferdinand.

✵ 1451 – 20. mai 1506
Christophe Colomb photo
Christophe Colomb: 29   citations 0   J'aime

Christophe Colomb: Citations en anglais

“As I saw that they were very friendly to us, and perceived that they could be much more easily converted to our holy faith by gentle means than by force, I presented them with some red caps, and strings of beads to wear upon the neck, and many other trifles of small value, wherewith they were much delighted, and became wonderfully attached to us. Afterwards they came swimming to the boats, bringing parrots, balls of cotton thread, javelins, and many other things which they exchanged for articles we gave them, such as glass beads, and hawk's bells; which trade was carried on with the utmost good will. But they seemed on the whole to me, to be a very poor people. They all go completely naked, even the women, though I saw but one girl. All whom I saw were young, not above thirty years of age, well made, with fine shapes and faces; their hair short, and coarse like that of a horse's tail, combed toward the forehead, except a small portion which they suffer to hang down behind, and never cut. Some paint themselves with black, which makes them appear like those of the Canaries, neither black nor white; others with white, others with red, and others with such colors as they can find. Some paint the face, and some the whole body; others only the eyes, and others the nose. Weapons they have none, nor are acquainted with them, for I showed them swords which they grasped by the blades, and cut themselves through ignorance. They have no iron, their javelins being without it, and nothing more than sticks, though some have fish-bones or other things at the ends. They are all of a good size and stature, and handsomely formed. I saw some with scars of wounds upon their bodies, and demanded by signs the of them; they answered me in the same way, that there came people from the other islands in the neighborhood who endeavored to make prisoners of them, and they defended themselves. I thought then, and still believe, that these were from the continent. It appears to me, that the people are ingenious, and would be good servants and I am of opinion that they would very readily become Christians, as they appear to have no religion. They very quickly learn such words as are spoken to them. If it please our Lord, I intend at my return to carry home six of them to your Highnesses, that they may learn our language. I saw no beasts in the island, nor any sort of animals except parrots.”

12 October 1492; This entire passage is directly quoted from Columbus in the summary by Bartolomé de Las Casas
Journal of the First Voyage

“I should not proceed by land to the East, as is customary, but by a Westerly route, in which direction we have hitherto no certain evidence that any one has gone.”

3 August 1492 diary entry http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus1.html
Journal of the First Voyage

“Here the men lost all patience, and complained of the length of the voyage, but the Admiral encouraged them in the best manner he could, representing the profits they were about to acquire, and adding that it was to no purpose to complain, having come so far, they had nothing to do but continue on to the Indies, till with the help of our Lord, they should arrive there.”

10 October 1492
Variant translation: Here the people could stand it no longer and complained of the long voyage; but the Admiral cheered them as best he could, holding out good hope of the advantages they would have. He added that it was useless to complain, he had come [to go] to the Indies, and so had to continue it until he found them, with the help of Our Lord.
As translated in Journals and Other Documents on the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus (1963) by Samuel Eliot Morison, p. 62
Journal of the First Voyage

Auteurs similaires

Boccace photo
Boccace 32
poète et romancier italien, ministre plénipotentiaire de la…
Jean Pic de la Mirandole photo
Jean Pic de la Mirandole 2
philosophe et théologien humaniste italien
Christine de Pizan photo
Christine de Pizan 5
philosophe et poétesse française d’origine italienne