Travelling through Asia Minor

[the5500th]

I was looking at a map of the Roman world today. I wondered how could somebody (not a soldier) travel over land if the distance was to far to do on foot in a good time and the person could not afford a horse. For example how could a person of modest wealth get from Pergamon to Ephesus without taking a ship or is that the only way to do it without getting to many blisters or cut up by a highway man. Was there some sort of wagan/train system (like they had near Athens for a while) or large groups of travellers who would travers distances like that together.

 

Thanks, the5500th

[Kosmo]

The roman roads were usually in good condition, safe and traveled by many. I bet most people were in better physical shape and could walk long distances. That trip you mention was fairly short for roman standards.

[the5500th]

Can any body tell me the risk of bandits on the roads of the Roman proivnces. Thanks

Edited May 9, 2010 by the5500th

[Centurion-Macro]

I am unsure of exact risks, but bandits were common, especially in the late Republic, where even pirates were raiding the Via Appia (main road into Rome). But bandits on roads were indeed present, and probably very common in more populated roads, such as the Via Appia, where senators and merchants regularly passed through.

[Maty]

Not sure if the idea of a 'distance too far to go on foot' actually occurred to the Romans.

 

We know legions cheerfully marched from one end of Asia Minor to the other, and there's no reason why anyone else could not. There was a good road system (at one time the famous silk road ran through Anatolia), so if you went from say, Ephesus to Pergamon through Pontus you could then cut south through ex-Commagene and be on the road to Tarsus via the Cilician Gates.

 

Not many people other than the military used horses - mules were a better bet. If you could not afford a mule the question is why you would want to walk all that distance. Families tended to stay put, and poor people did not have far-flung business connections. If you had to travel but could not afford to, your best bet would be to hook up with (for example) a merchant carrying provisions overland, and look for a job on his staff. This would also help with the bandit issue.