Traveling in ancient times was no fun. The means of transport were uncomfortable, the roads often bad and bandits were lurking. Yet people went out for fun 2000 years ago and the sights they visited are still tourist attractions today.
Travel is as old as humanity itself. In search of better farmland, in battle with richer neighbors or on the way for trade. People mainly went out for economic and social reasons, not to see the art treasures in the neighboring country. This changed at the beginning of our era. Peace reigned in the vast Roman Empire, the Pax Romana, which made traveling safer and easier. During this Roman peace, from about 30 BC to 200 AD, the Roman Empire reached its greatest extent. The borders ran from the Dutch Rhine in the north to the desert near Morocco in the south, one from the Euphrates in Iraq to the Atlantic Ocean in the west.
Within this vast empire there were no borders and citizens did not need documents for free passage. In addition, a vast and extensive road network connected the most important cities within this empire. It was even busier at sea and much use was made of the shipping routes along the coast. What also made traveling easier was that you could pay with the Imperial currency everywhere and you could deal with Latin in the west and Greek in the east. A somewhat educated citizen or trader spoke both these languages.
By land or sea
Many travel descriptions were written in the first, relatively quiet, centuries of our era. It is nice to read what travelers from ancient times encountered. First, there were dangers that even the Roman emperor could not control, such as storms at sea or in the desert. And although the governments promoted that they had eliminated crime on the road and sea, this turned out not always to be the case, especially in the remote areas.
In addition to danger, of course, there was discomfort. Although the Romans had built an extensive road network estimated at 80,000 km, its quality was not equally good everywhere. Anyone traveling overland in a car that had no suspension yet was completely shaken upon arrival in the evening. Along the roads were small inns for the travelers, which, according to various travel reports, were often teeming with vermin. Whenever possible, travelers stayed with family or acquaintances en route.
The advantage of overland travel was that you could leave whenever you wanted and choose your own route. Wherever you went, there were plenty of inns or other accommodations to make a stopover, even if they weren't all that good. One drawback was the slow pace of the trip. Most people traveled by foot, in addition to a cart for luggage, covering about six miles a day (1 mile is 1475 m). Those who traveled by car could cover 15 to a maximum of 60 km per day.
For long journeys, the traveler preferred a route by sea because it was a lot faster when the weather conditions were favourable. In addition, a ship was more comfortable and cheaper to travel with. But because shipping was primarily intended for freight transport, travelers had to look for a captain who would take them with them. It was therefore necessary to adapt one's own itinerary to the routes and departure times of the ships. That was not according to a timetable as ships were dependent on the weather conditions.
Boating was mainly a summer affair, when the weather was stable. Because skippers did not sail on instruments but on the position of the sun and stars, a clear sky was important to set the right course. In the winter months this was almost impossible due to dense cloud cover, fog, gusts of rain or snow showers. Sea shipping was even advised against between November and March:this was also called mare clausum or closed sea. Roman tourists mainly set out between mid-June and mid-October, comparable to our long vacation but longer. They fled the hot cities and rich Romans traveled to their luxurious country houses or went on a tourist trip.
Intrusive guides
Travel during the Pax Romana increased and so did travel for pleasure:tourism. Educated Roman citizens traveled to Greece because of the history they had heard about since childhood. This land was the origin of Roman civilization and they wanted to see it with their own eyes. Romans visited Greek monuments, temples and tombs, as well as relics from mythological stories, such as the egg from which Helena, the most beautiful woman in the world, is said to have come. The egg on display was probably an ostrich egg from Africa.
Romans created the first touristic route full of highlights or must sees . in Greece :they went to cities that are still very popular today, such as Athens, Delphi, Olympia and Sparta. The locals took advantage of this with the still well-known services in the form of sleeping places, food and souvenir stalls and guides that forced themselves on the tourists. But when customers were dissatisfied with certain services or hotel owners, they could put a curse on the relevant operator for a fee. The curse was written on a lead plate and buried in a cemetery.
Like a festival
The Olympic Games (organized since 776 BC) have always been popular, but during the Pax Romana it was one of the most visited attractions in Greece. Held once every four years in Olympia, the Games attracted an estimated 40,000 spectators from across the Roman Empire. Admission was free and tourists from all walks of life could be found here. Hotels were fully booked long in advance and most people slept in their own tents around the temple of the supreme god Zeus. During the day, the spectators were packed on the bare mountain slope in the bright sun. Due to a lack of hygiene and sanitary facilities, fever and diarrhea regularly broke out among those present.
The Games lasted five days, of which the first and last days were filled with religious acts and the remaining three days were devoted to the competitions. But there was more to do than watch the athletes. All kinds of competitions were organized in which spectators could participate, such as food and beauty contests. In addition to athletes, Olympia also attracted many artists such as actors, fire eaters, jugglers and fortune tellers. Prostitutes did good business, writers debuted with new work and philosophers came along to debate.
In addition to Greece, Egypt was also popular among Roman tourists. They not only visited the pyramids of Cheops but also came for the sun, the water of the Nile and the women because they would have a medicinal effect. Tourists did not necessarily travel alone. There were even organized group tours, in which the travelers took place in a four-wheeled covered carriage, the rhaeda, and carried their luggage in an open carriage. Or they sail around on a large luxurious cruise ship including a swimming pool, performances by artists and culinary delights by the chef. All in all, there is not much new under the sun in tourist land.