Whether by bus, train or subway, many of us dread the daily commute to work.
But next time you’re complaining about your trip, think about the ancient Romans, whose travel times were considerably longer.
At its largest, the Roman Empire stretched the length and breadth of the UK, Europe and beyond, covering an astounding 2,750,000 square miles.
To put this expanse in perspective, historians have created an interactive map which lets you explore the realm and see how long it would have taken – and how much it would have cost – to circumnavigate the globe in 200 CE.
The map of the Roman world was created by historians from Stanford University, and contains 632 locations, including urban settlements and mountain passes.
At its largest, the Roman Empire stretched the length and breadth of the UK, Europe and beyond, covering an astounding 2,750,000 square miles.
| Route starting point | Ancient Rome | Today |
|---|---|---|
| Luguvalium (Carlisle) | 50 hours 15 minutes | 5 hours 43 minutes |
| Mamucio (Machester) | 33 hours 10 mins | 4 hours 14 minutes |
| Deva (Chester) | 28 hours 48 mins | 4 hours 12 minutes |
| Eburacum (York) | 33 hours 10 mins | 2 hours 10 minutes |
| Lindum (Lincoln) | 24 hours | 3 hours 11 minutes |
| Glevum (Gloucester) | 16 hours 48 minutes | 2 hours 29 minutes |
| Isca (Exeter) | 24 hours | 3 hours 44 minutes |
| Aqua Sulis (Bath) | 16 hours 48 minutes | 1 hour 21 minutes |
| Durnovaria (Dorchester) | 19 hours 12 minutes | 2 hours 36 minutes |
| Verulamium (St Albans) | 2 hours 24 minutes | 1 hour 18 minutes |
| Camulodunum (Colchester) | 7 hours 12 minutes | 1 hour 11 minutes |
| Travel times in ancient Rome are based on summer travel by horse relay. Travel times today are based on the fastest route according to Google Maps. | ||
The map shows how much it would have cost to travel by road and sea across the Roman Empire in 200 CE, calculating the route based on the season or mode of transport chosen.
For example, a trip from Londinium to Roma in July would have taken 21 days and covered 2643 km.
Prices in denarii would have been 1,031.23 per passenger.
Denarius was a small silver coin used by the Romans. The name is the origin of several modern words, such as the currency name dinar and the Italian noun for money, denaro.
For example, an unskilled laborer would have been paid a denarius for a day’s work.
Map modes include travel on foot, horseback, relay, bullock cart, porter, private car, and on a high-speed military march.
Route start and end points can be selected using drop-down menus and users can even select which season they are traveling in.
Elsewhere, travelers can choose between the fastest, cheapest and shortest routes and whether to exclude roads, rivers, coast or open sea.
When all options are selected, the Calculate route button shows the results.
These appear as text in the lower left corner, a latitude and longitude graph along the bottom, and a junction route at the top of the map. The view options in the top right corner allow users to delete or view terrain details, sites, names, trails, and regions.
Orbis: The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World The model is based on a simplified version of the network of cities, roads, rivers and sea lanes that shaped movement throughout the Roman Empire.
While broadly depicting conditions around 200 AD, it also includes sites and roads constructed in late antiquity.
The map shows how much it would have cost to travel by road and sea across the Roman Empire in 200 CE, and calculates the route based on the chosen season or mode of transport
The basic road network covers 52,587 miles (84,631 km) of road or desert trails, in addition to 17,567 miles (28,272 km) of rivers and canals
The basic road network covers 52,587 miles (84,631 km) of road or desert trails, in addition to 17,567 miles (28,272 km) of rivers and canals.
When traveling by sea, the map simulates monthly wind conditions and takes into account strong currents and wave height.
The model’s maritime network consists of 1,026 sea routes, connecting 513 pairs of locations in both directions.
The details are drawn from historical sources and supplemented with short-haul coastal links between all ports, as well as a number of medium-haul routes filling gaps in ancient coverage.
Their total length, which would vary monthly due to the changing conditions, averages 119,806 miles (192,810 km).
Sea travel is possible with two speeds of sail reflecting the likely range of navigational possibilities in Roman times.
More than 150 of the shipping lanes are classified as open seas and can be disabled to limit movement to coastal and other short-haul routes.
For each route, the model generates two results for time and four for expenses in a given month.
The map was built by a team led by Elijah Meeks and included geographer and web developer Karl Grossner and Noemi Alvarez.