Fresh/Soph Seminar - Travel and Transport in the Ancient World

4 credits · Undergraduate

Examination of how people moved both themselves and objects from one place to another in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Drawing on archaeological, literary, and pictorial evidence we consider an array of topics, including transport technology & infrastructure, the organization & costs of travel & transport, routes & travel times, banking, dining & overnighting on the road, packaging, labelling, & handling of cargoes, the roles of both short- and long-distance trade in the economy, reasons why people travelled, extreme travel, and the general travel experience. We also explore new digital technologies that allow us to better recreate and understand the nature and experience of travel and transport in pre-industrial times.