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Travel in the Later Roman Empire - Printable Version +- RomanArmyTalk (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat) +-- Forum: Research Arena (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/forumdisplay.php?fid=4) +--- Forum: Ancient Civ Talk (https://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/forumdisplay.php?fid=12) +--- Thread: Travel in the Later Roman Empire (/showthread.php?tid=19005) |
Travel in the Later Roman Empire - Lothia - 06-20-2011 Ave Civitas, You guys are great. I have another question about travel in the Later Roman Empire. I understand that there were times when Rome could not provide security to all of the land it "owned". 1. I would assume then that travel from one city to the next could be dicey. 2. I assume this did not preclude travel, but traveling in groups would be saver. 3. I imagine that life in the lesser villages was more hazardous than life in a walled city. 4. I would also imagine that merchants, loaded down with valuables would not want to travel from one city to the next without accompaniment (other merchants, armed guards, hired guards) My question is: a. Are my assumptions correct? b. Can someone point me in the direction of a good reference to this? Thanks again, Re: Travel in the Later Roman Empire - Robert Vermaat - 06-20-2011 Hi Tom, I'd say that in general, your assumptions are correct. Of course, 'no security guarantee' would not be typical just for the Later Roman period, but it would become more of a problem. I'd say that the economic recession of the 5th century would partly be due to a downturn in trade, but of course we cannot be sure whether trade loss was caused by rising insecurity, or by the loss of markets, which in turn would cause more social unrest and hence rising insecurity. This period is also known for a drop in population levels. 1. Yes, travel between fortified settlements could become problematic, although of course nor everywhere to a similar level. 2. Travel did indeed never stop, but it would become more and more difficult. Due to the impoverishment of local government, road were no longer kept up. 3. No doubt. We see a move towards walled towns (which shrunk nonetheless) or to burgi (fortified places or fortlets) dotted around the countryside. In Britain we see a return to hillforts, but in no way comparable to the scale of these places during the Pre-Roman Iron Age. 4. Indeed, and if you could not expect to sell these goods, you probably would not undertake the journey in the first place. Of course, we should not overestimate the impact of all this. I would say that in general, travelling from Rome to Gaul would hardly be different during the mid-5th century than it would be during the mid-8 century, looking from the political or economic point of view. And let’s not forget that trade still continued between the Empire out-of-the-way places such as Cornwall during the 6th century, although at a lower scale than before. Sources for travel in Late Antiquity include pilgrimages to the Holy Land or travelling clerics. News about the world could take months to reach certain parts, when we reach the end of the 5th century. There are a number of articles in which travel in Antiquity is described, for instance from the point of view of trade or pilgrimage. I can recommend Ward-Perkins, Brian (2005): The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization, (Oxford University Press). Or perhaps this book: Travel, communication, and geography in late antiquity: sacred and profane by Linda Ellis and Frank Kidner? Re: Travel in the Later Roman Empire - Caballo - 06-20-2011 Thanks Vorti- I was just about to recommend Bryan's book as well! There is also a great (and free) podcast by him on the Oxford University Alumni Weekend series on ITunes U on the Fall of the Roman Empire. Well worth a listen. The economic impact on trade and the Roman free trade economy through the roads becoming tougher is (I think) often underestimated. Arguably an unforseen consequence of the mobile Field Army/ Limitanei strategy? Re: Travel in the Later Roman Empire - Medicus matt - 06-20-2011 Given that all policing duties seem to fall to the military (including customs and excise, weights and measures, patrolling country roads and traveller/merchant escort), I'd say that as long as you're in a region with a local military presence then you've got localised protection whose remit would extend beyond the town/city walls. As for life in the 'lesser villages' being more hazardous....why? What have they got that's worth stealing? If you read the opening lines of Ausonius' "Mosella" (composed in the late 4th century, describing a journey from Bingen through Gaul), you don't get any impression of danger, even though he goes alone through 'trackless woodland'. Quote:I had crossed the swift Nava with its misty flow Re: Travel in the Later Roman Empire - Medicus matt - 06-20-2011 Worth a read if you can get hold of a copy:- Constable, Olivia Remie "Housing the Stranger in the Mediterranean World: Lodging, Trade, and Travel in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages". Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.2003 Re: Travel in the Later Roman Empire - Robert Vermaat - 06-20-2011 Quote:As for life in the 'lesser villages' being more hazardous....why? What have they got that's worth stealing?Cattle? Harvest? Drinks? Daughters? For a band of marauders, anything could be good enough to roast a farmer over a small fire. As happened a lot during Europes wars. Quote:If you read the opening lines of Ausonius' "Mosella" (composed in the late 4th century, describing a journey from Bingen through Gaul), you don't get any impression of danger, even though he goes alone through 'trackless woodland'.Does it? I get more the impression of total desertion due to a lot of violence: Quote:amazed at the new walls added to old VincumI think the poet is not describing a idyllic empty countryside, but one bereft of population after a great slaughter. The new walls of Vincum amaze him - i guess he was not used to such construction activity! The 'empty land' syndrome is a figure of speech much used in Late Antiquity: Quote:The works of Fastidius, chapter 3 Of course, how much of this is pure hyperbole? I assume that a lot of it is, all the more since archaeology never found the traces of wholesale slaughter and devastation on such a massive scale. To the ancient authors, things must have looked bleak, but it never got as bad as they actually wrote. Re: Travel in the Later Roman Empire - Medicus matt - 06-20-2011 Quote:Does it? I get more the impression of total desertion due to a lot of violence: Ahh, I didn't say it was idyllic, just pointing out that the author felt able to make the journey alone without fear of being waylaid. All of those doom and gloom merchants remind me of Gildas. 5th/6th century Christians...they're all 'glass half empty' sorts of men aren't they? ![]() Re: Travel in the Later Roman Empire - Epictetus - 06-20-2011 I think there could be some differentiation between different parts of the Empire, although broad trends were probably in evidence everywhere. Where is your story taking place? I have recently read Mitchell’s Anatolia, and I was surprised at how much the responsibility of local security fell to cities and local magistrates during Late Antiquity. Municipal magistrates organised and supervised patrols on local roads and kept the peace. In some cases on the Eastern frontier cities even constructed their own border fortifications and watch towers independent of imperial authority (although doubtlessly with imperial approval, or perhaps even by imperial command!). You read all these stories about invaders besieging a city while the emperor and the armies were thousands of miles away and wonder who was doing the defending. Well, the locals were the defence, or at least helping the defence, in many cases. I think question #3 poses some difficulties. As others have hinted, there was a broad shift of power from cities to rural areas, which included the construction of fortified locales in the country. Yet the defences of urban areas were also strengthened, especially by a frenzy of wall-building. Does this mean walled towns were “safer”? I don’t think there is an easy answer, but I have my doubts. If cities remained the safest places I couldn’t imagine the power shift to rural seats taking place. Re: Travel in the Later Roman Empire - elagababbalus - 06-21-2011 I might also suggest A Voyage Home to Gaul by Rutilius Namatianus http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Rutilius_Namatianus/text*.html who talks about his difficulty in getting home to Gaul in the aftermath of the sack of Rome Pope Gregory's letters also talk about life among the ruins. The chronic insecurity leads to reduced trade and less investment in maintenance and upkeep leading to less taxes in turn leading to more insecurity. The collapse in economic specialisation and chronic insecurity would no doubt give rise to a very bleak view of the world as indicated by this poem. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ruin McCormack's Origins of the European Economy talks quite a bit about the decline in travel in late antiquity/early medieval period. Re: Travel in the Later Roman Empire - Tiberio - 06-22-2011 Well looks like you fellows are not familiar with the treasure find of Neupotz? It dates from around 277/278 AD. With 700kg it is the largest roman metal finding in Europe. http://www.kreis-germersheim.de/barbarian-treasure.html Recent studies have shown that a large portion of the loot is from around Lyon, which shows that germanic raiders could roam long distances fairly unchallenged. Re: Travel in the Later Roman Empire - Lothia - 06-24-2011 Ave Epictetus, My story (the one that prompted asking about travel) takes place in northern Italy, Croatia, Serbia, and Bulgaria. (following the trek of the Goths back to Lower Moesia from northern Italy.) But, in another story, (back burner now) I have scenes that take place in central Anatolia, so thanks. Tom |