Live data from Hacker News

Ancient Rome's version of Google Maps: how long to reach the beach

euronews.com

1–10 of 55 posts

Re: Ancient Rome's version of Google Maps: how long to reach the beach

#3
This part is clearly nonsense:

> According to the planner’s calculation, the journey would have taken 43 days to cover 1,500 Roman miles. To put that into a contemporary context: the same route by road today can be completed in 14 days (340 hours) on foot, or 16 hours by car (source in Spanish).

It would take 340 hours to walk, whether you do it today or in Roman times. Google maps is assuming you would walk for 24 hours a day, the planner is assuming you could walk for around 8.

Re: Ancient Rome's version of Google Maps: how long to reach the beach

#7
post #3

This part is clearly nonsense: > According to the planner’s calculation, the journey would have taken 43 days to cover 1,500 Roman miles. To put that into a contemporary context: the same route by road today can be completed in 14 days (340 hours) on foot, or 16 hours by car (source in Spanish). It would take 340 hours to walk, whether you do it today or in Roman times. Google maps is assuming you would walk for 24 h…

Who'd walk the route more easily for 8h though? A random Western today or a random Roman then?

Re: Ancient Rome's version of Google Maps: how long to reach the beach

#8
post #3

This part is clearly nonsense: > According to the planner’s calculation, the journey would have taken 43 days to cover 1,500 Roman miles. To put that into a contemporary context: the same route by road today can be completed in 14 days (340 hours) on foot, or 16 hours by car (source in Spanish). It would take 340 hours to walk, whether you do it today or in Roman times. Google maps is assuming you would walk for 24 h…

Yes, distance is about the same. 1488Km in Google and 1075 Roman miles in Omnesviae [0], that is ~1590 Km.

[0] https://www.omnesviae.org/#OVPlace337_TPPlace1048

Re: Ancient Rome's version of Google Maps: how long to reach the beach

#9
post #3

This part is clearly nonsense: > According to the planner’s calculation, the journey would have taken 43 days to cover 1,500 Roman miles. To put that into a contemporary context: the same route by road today can be completed in 14 days (340 hours) on foot, or 16 hours by car (source in Spanish). It would take 340 hours to walk, whether you do it today or in Roman times. Google maps is assuming you would walk for 24 h…

Who'd walk the route more easily for 8h though? A random Western today or a random Roman then?

Probably a random Roman. People used to walk a lot, often barefoot. The random modern Westerner would get blisters within the first week.

Re: Ancient Rome's version of Google Maps: how long to reach the beach

#10
post #3

This part is clearly nonsense: > According to the planner’s calculation, the journey would have taken 43 days to cover 1,500 Roman miles. To put that into a contemporary context: the same route by road today can be completed in 14 days (340 hours) on foot, or 16 hours by car (source in Spanish). It would take 340 hours to walk, whether you do it today or in Roman times. Google maps is assuming you would walk for 24 h…

Who'd walk the route more easily for 8h though? A random Western today or a random Roman then?

Eh, I'd say it's equal.

I've walked for 8 hrs before, wearing modern sneakers on roads with vehicular traffic, and travelled about the same distance estimated by Google Maps. I'd estimate the Roman would like be able to travel in the same duration, barring other extenuating factors (like Caesar staging a revolt against the Senate and crossing with his legion right in front of your planned route), with worse shoes but more walk-friendly roads.

Post reply on HN