The Roman Empire had a significant influence on various fields of human life, such as art, culture, architecture, science, technology, and others. The ORBIS website provides an opportunity to explore the Roman world and its road and river networks (“The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World”). The voyage that I would like to take includes the following stops: Roma, Messana, Corinthus, Ephesus, and Constantinopolis. My journey to the destination point would cover 2724 km and last 21.3 days (“The Stanford Geospatial Network”). Such an option was considered the fastest at the time. The cheapest route would increase my travel time by approximately three days (24.7 days, 2882 km) (“The Stanford Geospatial Network”). The shortest route between Roma and Constantinopolis would last 51.9 days, covering 1694 km (“The Stanford Geospatial Network”). As can be seen, the map of the Roman world reveals its interconnectedness, and people had various options to reach their destinations.
At the same time, the nature of the Roman world is less interconnected than that of the present. The statistics provided by the map reveal a striking difference between travel opportunities in the Roman and contemporary worlds. Obviously, technology development has enabled safe and efficient ways for people to reach their desired destinations. As a result, the modern world seems to be more interconnected since distances can be reached much sooner than in the Roman Empire. Undoubtedly, the vast network of roads and connections was impressive at the time. People relied on currents and human- and animal-generated energy, which significantly reduced their opportunities to travel fast (“The Stanford Geospatial Network”). Therefore, the comparison of the two epochs reveals that the modern world is more interconnected in an efficient way.
Work Cited
“The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World.” ORBIS, Web.