Roman Roads (2017)
A stylized “subway map” of ancient Roman roads is drawing praise for vividly showing how the empire integrated distant provinces through dense transport links, and for its thoughtful cartography, color choices, and availability as high‑resolution art. Commenters compare it to historical sources like the Tabula Peutingeriana, note missing or simplified routes, and point out how many modern European roads still follow Roman alignments. The map also prompts wider reflections on Roman engineering, travel speeds of people vs horses, the maintenance required to keep such roads viable over centuries, and how modern transit networks and automated map‑drawing tools echo this long tradition of infrastructure visualization.
Map design & visualization
- Many commenters praise the subway-map style as clear and aesthetically pleasing, highlighting how it reveals integration of the empire via transport of goods, ideas, and armies.
- High‑resolution versions are shared; some note the original creator’s page has more detailed write‑ups and an email option for printable PDFs.
- Several compare it to historical schematic maps like the Tabula Peutingeriana and modern projects like “Roads to Rome.”
Color choices & data‑viz techniques
- The map’s 20‑color palette is appreciated and reused by some for other work.
- Others discuss algorithmic ways to generate distinct colors (golden angle, “plastic sequence”) and accessibility options for color‑vision deficiencies.
- A question is raised about what to call this class of “non‑standard” visualizations that reframe geographic networks.
Coverage accuracy & omissions
- Commenters point out missing or simplified roads (e.g., Sardinian routes, Via Gallica, King’s Highway) and note that the creator explicitly took “creative liberties” and did not aim for completeness.
- Confusions over place names (e.g., Vienna vs Vienne, Geneva’s position) are clarified as different ancient cities, not modern Vienna.
- Some find the schematic misleading in mountainous regions like the Alps, where straight lines hide harsh terrain and seasonal closures.
Travel speeds & logistics
- A long sub‑thread debates how walking vs horse travel times were estimated.
- Points raised: relay horses and waystations enable very fast elite travel; baggage, safety in groups, and pack animals slow typical travelers; humans with loads average ~12–30 km/day, with outlier anecdotes of much longer marches.
- Comparisons are made to modern thru‑hiking and endurance events, with disagreement over what counts as “typical.”
Roman roads vs modern infrastructure
- Several note many modern European roads still follow Roman alignments.
- A large discussion compares ancient durability to modern pothole‑ridden roads.
- One side: modern systems optimize for cost and profit; we could overbuild longer‑lasting roads but choose not to.
- Others counter that modern loads (semis, snowplows, speeds) and climates are far harsher, and ancient roads were maintained and also degraded.
- Survivor bias is emphasized: we only see the ancient roads that lasted.
- Role of slavery and forced labor vs modern budget constraints is debated; participants disagree on how uniquely exploitative or profit‑obsessed Rome was.
Empires, roads, and historical framing
- Some reflect on how road networks embody a particular type of sedentary, centralized empire, contrasting Rome with nomadic empires that lacked comparable road systems.
- There’s pushback against treating Rome as the default standard for all empires, with calls to focus more on differences (e.g., Inca) rather than constant comparison.