Figures on size of Roman Empire.

[Domitianus3]

For a while now I have been trying to find some stats on the Empire. Specifically its size in square km/miles. I have read figures as high as 2.5 million sq. miles but am unsure if this is just land or if it includes the Mediterranean. I am just curious if anyone has any good idea as to the actual figures for the size of the empire, at its greatest extent of course. I can never seem to find figures for it online and when I do they are all different and unspecific as to what is and is not included. Thanks.

[Faustus]

Outlining a map of the Roman Empire of 117 AD under Trajan, including all the smaller seas where a Roman boundary would fall in a straight line across or include them, and connecting the furthest extent of the Empire at those locations as if they would be under direct control of Rome, I came up with 3,347,435 square miles. Adding in 50,000 for England and Wales (which had some confusing variations), we have 3,397,435. Of course neither the accuracy of my measurements nor my map merit the precision my figures would seem to suggest. This was all done with tracing paper by calculating the number of quarter inch squares falling inside the outline with a known area in square miles for each 1/4" square.

 

I'll be interested in learning the actual figure. I used a the distance from Lisbon to Rome (1164 miles) and Rome to Istanbul (850 miles) to set up a scale because that line traversed the central parts of the Empire and gave me a fairly long base line of about 2014 miles. On my map the distance fell within about 1 mile out of 2000 east to west. Maybe my calculations will inspire someone else to come up with a better figure. Good luck.

 

Faustus

 

 

Edit: FYI

without Alaska the US land area is 5 pct smaller

And with Alaska the us land area is 11 pct larger

Edited February 16, 2008 by Faustus