How often do you think about the Roman Empire?
For a team of international researchers who went all in and mapped the ancient Roman road system, the answer — truly — is every day. And now, anyone can dive into the newly created visualization tool, which includes 100,000 kilometers (about 62,000 miles) of newly identified routes, and virtually explore how ancient Romans traveled.
At its peak, the Roman Empire stretched from modern-day Britain to Egypt and Syria, and its impressive network of roads contributed to its successful expansion. The astonishing map, which lays out the Roman road system around AD 150, spans over 300,000 kilometers (about 186,000 miles) — enough to circle Earth more than seven times, Dr. Pau de Soto, coauthor of the study describing the tool, said in an email. He is a professor in the department of ancient and medieval history at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain.
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