Communications (part 2)
John B, a student in our Manchester class, asked the 50-dollar question last week: just how fast could a Roman trireme sail?
The question of speed and reliability of communications goes to the heart of explaining how the Roman empire kept functioning as an empire. And it's not a question that's easily answered as there are so many variables to take into account.
Fortunately, the good people of Stanford University have put all the variables together into one interactive website, and here it is: http://orbis.stanford.edu/
You can choose different modes of transport from on foot to horse-relay, different times of year, and even look at the cost in denarii of your journey. Brilliant!
The question of speed and reliability of communications goes to the heart of explaining how the Roman empire kept functioning as an empire. And it's not a question that's easily answered as there are so many variables to take into account.
Fortunately, the good people of Stanford University have put all the variables together into one interactive website, and here it is: http://orbis.stanford.edu/
You can choose different modes of transport from on foot to horse-relay, different times of year, and even look at the cost in denarii of your journey. Brilliant!