his companions embarked from Myra in Lycia and set sail for Italy. They most likely launched in late August, but (as we shall see) the shipwreck caused a three-month delay at Malta, forcing the final leg of the journey to fall in the dead of winter. It was not a pleasant time to travel the seas and fight the cold winds and harsh currents of the Mediterranean. I’m told there are few more treacherous bodies of water than the route below the southern reaches of Greece. It was there the storm hit full force.