Travel in Ancient Times

As Christmas and Hanukkah quickly approach, you and your family may be taking off on a big vacation. Others of you might be visiting family on a road trip. I wish each of you safety, love, and joy. This week, let's take a look at what travel would be like two-thousand years ago.

First of all, in the ancient world, travel was always a challenge. By the end of the 1st century B.C., my characters like Marcus Antonius did have an entire network of Roman highways on which they could travel. But that still doesn't mean it was easy. In both Antonius: Son of Rome and Second in Command, I reference some of the Roman roads--the Via Appia, Via Aurelia, Via Egnatius... and there were many, many more.

As is the case today in the US and Britain, miles were used as a measurement of distance as they are today. However, in Marcus Antonius's lifetime they were still measured rather crudely. To military men like him, a mile was a thousand paces (not really an accurate measurement!), and they counted only the left foot striking the ground in what was considered a military march. Eventually, mile-markers were spaced according to measurements taken by ancient odometers. Usually made of rough-hewn marble or stone, they were nothing compared to the "golden milestone" which eventually marked the center of the Roman Empire . Unfortunately, that one was lost!

Within the Mediterranean basin, the other option was travel by sea. It was surprisingly fast, if one took the riskier route in the peak sailing season (during late spring and summer). However, many sea captains preferred staying closer to shore. It was slower, but safer, and undoubtedly the preferred itinerary during changing seasons and the winter months, when high winds and rougher seas could capsize a boat. Underwater archaeology has become a thrilling and lucrative means for researchers to study trade-routes, ship-building techniques, and find amazing artifacts that have added to our knowledge of ancient seamanship. That being said, the many shipwrecks in the Med testify to the risky nature of sea-travel so long ago.

When writing Antonius: Son of Rome, I needed to be as accurate as possible in giving a projected amount of time for Marcus to travel to--let's say from Brundisium in ancient Italia, to Athens, Greece. Fortunately, for geeky authors like me, there is ORBIS: The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World. This incredible, FREE online resource enables me to plug in Marcus's departure and chart his course, whether he leaves in the spring, summer, fall, or winter. I also get to choose whether he'll be traveling at a rapid military march or by ship across the Mediterranean. Using a safer, slower coastal jaunt by ship, he'd make it in just over a week's time. I encourage those of you who might be curious to check out this remarkable resource. For authors like me, it's GOLD! Here's a link to ORBIS if you want to check it out: https://library.stanford.edu/projects/orbis-stanford-geospatial-network-model-roman-empire

​And now, I hope everyone has safe travels over the Holidays, wherever you're headed! 

An ancient Roman mile-marker located along the Via Appia in Italy. As with most things, the Romans built this to stand the test of time. Even the inscription is still highly legible.