Boats and Transportation

The ancient Romans commonly travelled by sea and land. Right from time, the Romans exhibited magnificent and noteworthy skills in the aspect of engineering and construction.

They built several bridges above rivers, they used aqueducts for water supply and a good sewage system used to maintain the city’s healthy status.

During the extension of power across the whole of italy, the ancient Romans found a means of connecting the communities which they had conquered, with capital through a popularly known network called the “Famous Roman Road” which was so beautifully constructed that several people still lie  under the modern Italy motorways.

During the existence of civil wars, so many provinces were abandoned, Augustus had the determination to develop the infrastructures so as to enhance the growth of the Roman economy.

Wars didn’t frequently occur during the first and second centuries AD and as a result of this, Augustus and his heirs assigned military construction projects to their armies.

The network of bridges, roads and canals that were done back then, created access for the Roman cultural influence and commerce into the interior of Gaul.

FACTS ABOUT ANCIENT BOATS AND TRANSPORTATION

  • Travelling by sea was considered to be more comfortable than travelling by land which was either done by foot or through the use of carriages, chariots or carts that bumped and jerked over cobblestones. The Aryans, Egyptians, Hitties and Dynasty chinese used chariots for long periods before the ancient Romans and Greeks did.
  • There was a great difference between the Romans who travelled by land and the americans who existed during the Revolution. Truly, their inns weren’t so perfect but their horses and vehicles had certain equality and they possessed great roads which were considered to be the best until the emergence of our modern day roads.
  • In ancient Rome, riding on horsebacks wasn’t recognized as a means of travelling due to the fact that the ancient Romans had no saddle, but they had vehicles which which were either covered or uncovered, they possessed 2 wheels and in some occasions 4, wh which were for the horses. They made this vehicles available for hire at gates of big towns but the prices were not given
  • The streets present in ancient Rome were very narrow that carriages and wagons were restricted at hours when the roads were filled with people. For a very long period, which was over two centuries through the Republican era, vehicles were restricted during the early hours of the day.
  • Through the examination of ruts left by the carriage wheels and carts on the streets made with stones, Archeologists were able to confirm that the Romans possessed one-way streets with no-left-turn crossroads.
  • The ships owned by the Rome-Carthage traders consisted of wooden vessels which had square rigs with deep bellies used to hold amphoras that contain, olive oil, sauce, wine and varieties of goods.
  • In the first century Rome, the ships presents weren’t passenger ships, they didn’t have any luxury cruise at all. People who had interest in travelling by ships would have to travel by merchant ships. At first, they must locate a ship which could be a ship of any kind where they would have to agree with the captains regarding the price and on most occasions passengers brought their own food materials, mattresses and covers including tents.
  • The Roman military boats had an interesting innovation used by armies. These boats possessed a drawbridge which had a spike that enables their boats to cling to that of the enemy after which the Romans would decend and attack.
  • The travel duration on several boat lanes varied widely. The ancient Roman boats usually ran on Mediterranean sea waters at an estimated average speed between four to five knots while the fastest ones had an average speed of six knots. Travelling from east to west or south to north took more time as a result of harsh and powerful winds.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE ANCIENT BOATS AND TRANSPORTATION

  • Question: The fastest ancient Roman boats had an average speed of?
    Answers: Six knots
  • Question: The ancient Roman boats possessed a drawbridge and ____ which made them hijack and attack the enemy’s boat easily.
    Answers: Spikes
  • Question: Why was traveling from east to west or south to north time consuming?
    Answers: it was time consuming due to the effect of harsh and powerful winds.
  • Question: Why was traveling on horseback not recognized by  the ancient Romans.
    Answer: it wasn’t recognized because the Romans possessed no saddles.