This unique map transports us to an ancient era and offers an impressive appreciation of the complexity of land and sea movements in ancient Rome.
Nowadays, thanks to Google Maps and modern technology, it is easy to calculate the travel time from one point to another. However, in ancient times, the journey was challenging and times were considerably longer.
One of the largest territories was that of the Roman Empire, which stretched from the United Kingdom to Europe and beyond, occupying an impressive area of 2,750,000 square km.
The geographical vastness of ancient Rome made exploring its regions a true odyssey, as well as a monumental challenge.
But now it is possible to immerse yourself in the vastness of this empire and discover the challenges that ancient Roman explorers faced in their quest to conquer and discover these vast lands.
Orbis, the map that reveals how long it would have taken to explore the world in AD 200. c.
A group of historians from Stanford University have developed a fascinating interactive map that transports you to the world of the Roman Empire.. In it you can find out how much time and money it would have taken to travel to the 632 key sites of the time.
From urban settlements to mountain passes and even the most demanding seas. Orbis is the map designed to explore the land and sea routes of the year 200 AD. C., it is even possible to calculate the cost of the trip according to the season, as well as the means of transport.
The interactive platform reveals that traveling during the month of July, the journey from Londinium to Rome would have taken 21 days, traveling 2,643 kilometers. Now, at present, a flight from London to the same Italian city takes only 2 hours and 35 minutes, approximately.
This map offers a wide variety of travel options, including traveling on foot, horseback, relay, oxcart, porter, private wagon, or fast military march.
Likewise, customization options are offered, allowing explorers to choose between the fastest, cheapest and shortest routes. It is also possible to exclude roads, rivers, coasts and the open sea.
The Roman Empire Google Maps from Stanford University
Thanks to these tools you can immerse yourself in a unique experience to plan and visualize trips in the Roman Empire, exploring the different options available at that time. In addition, you will get an idea of the complexity of the travel routes at that time.
The development of this impressive map was carried out by a team headed by Elijah Meeks and included the collaboration of geographer Karl Grossner, as well as Noemí Álvarez.
Details of the routes, both land and sea, have been obtained from historical sources.but they have been complemented with short-range coastal connections, and medium-range routes to fill the coverage gaps.
It should be noted that, for each route, the model generates accurate results with two time terms and four expense options for each specific month.
For example, to realize the immensity of the differences in travel times with the current ones, Traveling from Córdoba, Spain to Rome took 20.9 dayswhile today the same distance can be covered in less than 23 hours by car, and only in about 9 days mixing walking with a ferry ride, according to Google Maps.
With this information and the interesting Google Maps of the Roman Empire, users can immerse themselves in the experience and have a more realistic view of travel in ancient Rome.
