Thus, Covilhã accepted his fate. He disguised himself as a Muslim cleric and traveled south from Massawa (modern Eritrea) into the highlands of Ethiopia. He was brought to the court of (or later, the Empress Dowager Eleni). The Ethiopians were amazed: here was a European Christian who spoke Arabic, knew the Bible, and could describe the world.
| Explorer | Primary Skill | Impact | Legacy | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Espionage, linguistics, memory | Enabled the plan for the Indian Ocean empire | Institutional (cartography, strategy) | | Vasco da Gama | Naval command, violence | Executed the plan; opened the sea route | Symbolic (the discoverer) | | Bartolomeu Dias | Navigation, seamanship | Proved the Atlantic-Indian connection | Technical (the Cape route) | pedro da covilha
Returning to Cairo in 1490, Covilhã received two pieces of devastating news: Afonso de Paiva had died of plague. And second, two Portuguese Jewish agents (Rabbi Abraham of Beja and Joseph of Lamego) arrived with a message from King John II: "The sea route is being explored [Dias had reached the Indian Ocean]. Now find Prester John, for we have no other man who can do it." Thus, Covilhã accepted his fate
Pêro da Covilhã (c. 1460 – c. 1530) remains one of the most underrated figures of the Iberian maritime discoveries. Unlike Vasco da Gama or Ferdinand Magellan, Covilhã was not a naval commander but a strategic intelligence agent. Tasked by King John II of Portugal with a dual mission—to locate the legendary kingdom of Prester John and to map the overland spice routes of the Orient—Covilhã executed one of the most successful espionage missions of the Renaissance. This paper argues that his detailed reports from Ethiopia and the Indian Ocean directly enabled da Gama’s successful voyage to India (1497–1499) and shaped Portuguese colonial strategy for a century. Furthermore, his subsequent 30-year captivity/retirement in Ethiopia inadvertently established the first diplomatic contact between the Ethiopian monarchy and Europe. The Ethiopians were amazed: here was a European
Initially honored, Covilhã was soon informed of the Ethiopian law of the guardians : no foreigner of value was allowed to leave, lest they reveal the kingdom’s weakness to hostile Muslims. He was given lands, a wife, and high office. He would never see Portugal again.
Covilhã’s work was epistemic : he transformed a myth into a map.
In the late 15th century, Portugal was a nation obsessed with breaking the Venetian and Mamluk monopolies on the spice trade. The dream was to reach India by sea, circumnavigating Africa. However, the interior of Africa and the layout of the Indian Ocean were cartographic voids. King John II, known as the "Perfect Prince," understood that naval power without intelligence was blind. Thus, he revived the medieval plan of contacting Preste João (Prester John)—a mythical Christian king believed to rule a powerful nation in Africa or Asia, who could become an ally against the Muslims controlling the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.