Google Maps for the Ancient World! Interactive map showing travel times in Ancient Rome

Whether it’s the bus, train, or subway, many of us dread the daily commute.

But the next time you complain about your journey, think of the ancient Romans, who had significantly longer travel times.

At its greatest extent, the Roman Empire spanned the length and breadth of Britain, Europe and beyond, covering a staggering 1,061,780 square miles (2,750,000 square kilometers).

To put this space in perspective, historians have created an interactive map. this allows you to explore the Empire and see how long and how much it will cost to travel the world in 200 AD.

The map of the Roman world was created by historians from Stanford University, and includes 632 objects, including urban settlements and mountain passes.

The map shows how much it would cost to travel by road and sea across the Roman Empire in 200 AD, and calculates the itinerary based on the season or mode of transport chosen.

For example, a journey from Londinium to Rome in July would take 21 days, covering 1,642 miles (2,643 km).

Prices in denarii would be 1031.23 per passenger.

The denarius was a small silver coin used by the Romans. Its name is the origin of several modern words, such as the name of the currency dinar and the Italian common noun for money, denaro.

For example, an unskilled worker would receive a denarius for a day’s work.

The map modes include movement on foot, on horseback, in a relay race, in an oxcart, with a porter, in a private chariot and during a fast military march.

The start and end points of the route can be selected using drop-down menus, and users can even choose what time of year they travel.

Elsewhere, travelers can choose between the fastest, cheapest, and shortest routes, as well as excluding roads, rivers, coastal or high seas.

After selecting all the options, the “Calculate route” button will show the results.

They appear as text in the lower left corner, a graph of longitude and latitude at the bottom, and a node route at the top of the map. The display options at the top right allow users to remove or display terrain, parcels, names, paths, and regions.

Orbis: Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World The model is based on a simplified version of the network of cities, roads, rivers and sea lanes that framed the movement of the Roman Empire.

While it broadly reflects conditions around 200 AD, it also covers sites and roads created in late antiquity.

The basic road network covers 52,587 miles (84,631 km) of roads or desert roads, and 17,567 miles (28,272 km) of rivers and canals.

When traveling by sea, the map simulates monthly wind conditions and takes into account strong currents and wave heights.

The sea network of the model consists of 1026 sea lanes connecting 513 pairs of sites in both directions.

Details were taken from historical sources and supplemented by short-range coastal communications between all ports, as well as the number of medium-range routes filling gaps in the ancient coverage.

Their total length, which would change monthly due to changing conditions, averages 119,806 miles (192,810 km).

Sea travel is possible at two sailing speeds, reflecting the likely range of navigational possibilities during the Roman period.

More than 150 sea lanes are classified as high seas connections and may be disabled to restrict movement on coastal and other short haul routes.

For each route, the model generates two time and four cost results in any given month.

The map was created by a team led by Elijah Meeks, including geographer and web developer Karl Grossner and Noemi Alvarez.