TEAVEL IN THE FIRST CENTURY AFTER CHRIST. Honfcon: C. J. CLAY AND SONS, CAMBRIDGE UNIVEESITY PKESS WAREHOUSE, AVE MARIA LANE. : 50, WELLINGTON STREET. P. A. BROCKHAUS. lorfe: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. Bombajr. E. SEYMOUR HALE. [All RiyJtts reserved.] TRAVEL IN THE FIRST CENTURY AFTER CHRIST WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ASIA MINOR BY CAROLINE A. J. SKEEL, FORMER STUDENT OF GIRTON COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE ; LECTURER IN HISTORY, WESTFIELD COLLEGE, HAMPSTEAD. SEEN BY PRESERVATION SERVICES CAMBRIDGE : AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. 1901 PRINTED BY J. AND C. F. CLAY, AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. PREFACE. essay was originally written in competition for the Gibson Prize founded in 1889 by Mrs J. Y. Gibson in connection with Girton College. Much of it has been based upon a study of the original sources, but great help has been gained from modern writers, especially Friedlander. For the section on Asia Minor I am indebted mainly to Professor Ramsay's works on the subject, which he has made his own. When so much has been written on a period, originality is difficult for those who cannot adduce fresh evidence. The general plan, however, and the concluding section, I can claim for the most part as my own. Also my own reading has furnished the references to the following authors: Horace, Juvenal, Tacitus, Suetonius, the younger Pliny, Philo Judaeus, Dio Chrysostom, Plutarch, and Philo- stratus. The same may be said of the majority of VI PREFACE references to Strabo, Ovid, Seneca, Martial, and the elder Pliny. A list of modern works consulted is prefixed to the essay. I would venture to express my grateful thanks to the Syndics of the University Press for under- taking the publication of this book. I am also much indebted to Professor Ramsay both for reading part of the proofs and for kindly allowing me to adapt a map from his Historical Com- mentary on the Epistle to the Galatians. Lastly, I am glad to have this opportunity of acknow- ledging the kindness of the Rev. C. E. Graves, who has read all the proofs, and whose suggestions have been a constant help and encouragement. C. A. J. S. July, 1901. TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. OBJECTS OF TRAVEL. Introduction Motives for travel in the first century A.D. The Imperial post The vehiculatio Commerce Estab- lishment of peace by Augustus Travelling for pleasure, for health and for the acquisition of knowledge Beggars, jugglers, strolling musicians, athletes The Jews. pp. 1 21. CHAPTER II. THE MECHANISM OF TRAVEL. Authorities on the Imperial road-system Milestones and other inscriptions The Antonine Itinerary The Peutinger Table The Vicarello cups Classification of roads public, private and village Chief lines of communication from Rome to the South, East, North, and West. pp. 2243. CHAPTER III. COMMUNICATION BY LAND. Construction and maintenance of roads Activity in road- rnaking under the Empire Bridges over the Tiber and other rivers Vehicles used in travel Luxury of travel Letter carriers Night-travelling Inns Rate of travelling Se- curity of travel Efforts to suppress brigandage, how far successful. pp. 44 76. Vlll CONTENTS CHAPTER IV. COMMUNICATION BY SEA. Communication by sea Roman naval power under the Republic and the Empire Classes of ships, their construction and equipment Life on board ship Harbours Danger of storm and shipwreck Votive offerings to the marine deities Piracy Speed of sailing and rowing vessels respectively River and lake travelling. pp. 77 109. CHAPTER V. COMMUNICATION IN ASIA MINOR. Asia Minor, physical features Greek influence High development of city life Relations with Rome and provin- cial organization Road-system, (1) the pre-Persian, (2) the Persian, (3) the Hellenistic period, (4) the Roman period The great trade route with its branches The Northern road and its branches Safety of travelling Communication by sea and river St Paul's journeys in Asia Minor. pp. 110139. CHAPTER VI. EFFECTS OF COMMUNICATION. Conclusion Effect of the above system of intercourse in government, commerce and social life Reasons why it failed to last. pp. 140145. MAPS. The chief lines of Road in the Roman Empire. To face paye 1. Asia Minor, showing chief Roads in 1st Century A.D. etc. To fiwe page, 111. ERKATA. Page 47, line 8 for Mnnicipialis read Municipalis. ,, 94 ad Jin. for Narbonnensis read Narbonensis. LIST OF MODERN AUTHORITIES. W. T. ARNOLD. Eoman system of Provincial Administration. BAUMEISTER. Various articles, Seewesen etc. BECKER. Gallus. BERGIER. Histoire des grands chemins de 1'empire romain. 3rd edition, 1728. BUNBURY. History of Ancient Geography. BURY. Student's Roman Empire. History of the Later Roman Empire. CONYBEARE and HOWSON. Life and Epistles of St Paul. 1862. FARRAR. Life and Work of St Paul. FRIEDLANDER. Sittengeschichte Roms. 5th edition, .1881. GIBBON. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. GUHL and KONER. Life of the Greeks and Romans. 3rd edition, 1889. HARDY. Pliny's Correspondence with Trajan. HATCH. The early organization of the Christian Church. HOGARTH. A Wandering Scholar in the Levant. A. H. KEANE. Asia. LANCIANI. Ancient Rome. Pagan and Christian Rome. LIGHTFOOT. Epistle to the Galatians. X LIST OF MODERN AUTHORITIES MAHAFFY. The Greek World under Roman Sway. MAXNERT. Edition of the Peutinger Table. MAYOR. Edition of Juvenal. MERIVALE. History of the Romans under the Empire. MIDDLETON. Remains of Ancient Rome. MOMMSEN. History of Rome. Provinces of the Roman Empire. ,, Romisches Staatsrecht. PARTHEY and PINDER. Edition of the Itineraries. PERROT. Exploration archeologique. PERRY. Art. 'Viae' in last edition of Smith's Diet, of Antiquities. RAMSAY. Historical Geography of Asia Minor. The Church in the Roman Empire. Cities and Bishoprics of Phrygia. St Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen. Impressions of Turkey during twelve years' wanderings. SEYFFERT. Dictionary of Antiquities. STERRETT. Epigraphical Journey through Asia Minor. TORR. Ancient Ships. TOZER. History of Ancient Geography. Also the following collections of Inscriptions : BOCKH. Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum. GRUTER. Inscriptiones Antiquae totius orbis Romani. MOMMSEN. Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum. RUSHFORTH. Latin Historical Inscriptions illustrating the history of the early Empire. CHAPTER I. OBJECTS OF TRAVEL. IN the history of the early Church, as recorded Rapid dif- in the New Testament, there are two features which 'christi- a in seem of remark : the especially worthy rapidity *| with which Christian communities were formed, and century A ' D< the constant intercourse maintained amongst them. Within thirty years after the Resurrection of Our Lord the Christian faith had been preached not only in the regions immediately adjoining Palestine, but in Asia Minor and Macedonia, Achaia and Illyricum, and even in Rome itself. The life of St Paul after his conversion is the life of one who for years was a constant traveller by land and sea, who in early manhood preached the Gospel at Damascus, and when old age was approaching looked forward to a journey into Spain. St Peter addresses his First Epistle to the strangers scattered through five provinces of Asia Minor, and in the concluding chapter sends them a message from the church at Babylon. No less do Pagan writers 1 bear witness to the rapid diffusion of Christianity . 2 Pliny's correspondence with Trajan shows that by 1 2 Tac. Ann. xv. 44. Plin. Epp. ad Trai. 96 (97). s. 1 2 OBJECTS OF TRAVEL [CH. 112 A.D. a province so insignificant as Bithynia contained numerous Christians not only in. the cities but also in the villages and country. Inter- The founders of these widely scattered communi- li l of beiween ^es rea ze( the importance intercommunication. Christian gy personal visits, by letters, and by messengers munitie.. they sought to strengthen the ties which bound them and their converts together into one Church. The result is seen in the kindly feeling which prompted the Christians of Antioch to send help in time of famine to their brethren of Jerusalem, and the Christians of Philippi to supply the neces- sities of St Paul. Hospitality is one of the duties expressly mentioned by St Paul in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus as incumbent on bishops, while St Peter and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews enjoin it on all Christians. This rapid diffusion of a faith which could count at first on little human aid, and this maintenance of intercourse between its adherents, imply that the means of communication in the first century after Christ had reached a high stage of development. It is the object of this essay to investigate the con- i ditions of travel that in during period ; especially Asia Minor, where Christianity made some of its earliest, though not most permanent conquests. Before travelling can become a habit, men must in the first place be supplied with motives strong enough to overcome their shrinking from the un- familiar; they must also have attained enough mechanical skill to conquer the difficulties put by Nature in the of locomotion and way ; lastly they IMPERIAL POST 3 I] THE must be assured that travel is at least tolerably free from risk. In the first centuries of the Roman Empire these conditions were fulfilled with a completeness never attained before, and never attained afterwards till quite modern times. The Travel for pui extended from the Atlantic to the Roman Empire p0s es. Euphrates, from the German Ocean to the borders of Ethiopia. It comprised within its boundaries nations differing as widely as possible in race, language, religion, and in political relations to the mistress-city. The problem of welding together this heterogeneous mass tested Roman energy and enterprise. Common subjection to Rome and wor- ship of the emperor suggested the idea of unity; the material bond was found in the network of roads which connected the several provinces with Rome and facilitated the defence of the frontiers.