Ancient Rome continues to amaze researchers. It turns out that the smoothness and clarity of the work of the ancient Roman post could compete in the quality of service with the modern one. But by mail it was possible not only to send letters, parcels and goods, but also to make tourist trips.
Instructions
Step 1
Transport arteries of ancient Rome
If you were at the turn of the eras in the Roman Empire, you could make a fascinating journey around the country - with real comfort, along the gorgeous transport arteries at that time.
The Roman roads, preserved to this day, are the pride of the Empire and the first monument to the communication links of the Ancient world. They, like a spider web, entangled all the provinces, and became the stronghold of a successful economy and military superiority over Rome's neighbors.
Step 2
Roman roads, goods and money
The roads could only be used by the military, civil servants and post offices. The maintenance of roads, as a rule, lay on the shoulders of the landowners, to whose lands these transport arteries adjoined, which the landowners were unspeakably happy about. Inns, with inns and hotels, brought them considerable income.
There were milestones along the roads indicating the distance - either to Rome itself, or to a large population center. The inns had special lounges for the military, business travelers and postal workers. There were "fresh" horses in the stables. Like regular buses, several times a day, at a strictly defined time and on a strictly defined route, post carriages and carriages went on the road. The world's first newspaper "Akta" was delivered by the postal service. According to sources, the mail was moving at speeds of up to 120 Roman miles per day (about 177 km). A huge impetus for the development of communications was made by the Emperor Augustus. He not only systematized the entire movement along the blood veins of the country, but also approved two postmasters, sea and land. The post office has become a separate state structure. And under Emperor Trajan, when there was not enough money in the treasury, a "jubilee" series of coins was issued, promoting the construction of roads.
Step 3
Roman travel and bank transfers
Private crews were prohibited from using the roads. The military postal purpose of the routes was unshakable. However, over time, any citizen of the empire for a certain fee could travel these roads in mail carriages. An excellently organized banking system made it possible not to take cash on the road. It was enough to have with you something like personal checks, according to which the owner could receive money at the nearest “bank branch, and there were a huge number of them. Not only post carriages ply along the roads, but also military patrols. By the way, there were no documented complaints about robberies for almost 300 years from the beginning of the reforms of Emperor Augustus.
It is known that sea and river regular mail and cargo shipments were paid for with special tokens - tessera. Unfortunately, despite the huge amount of archaeological material, the issues of sea mail and its functioning are poorly studied.
Anyone who wished, with the availability of funds, could carry out long trips with visits to attractions scattered throughout the Roman Empire. A traveler was given a silver goblet on the road, and in every place or city our "tourist" visited, the name of the City or Locality was engraved on the goblet. Such cups are kept in museums and private collections.
The popular phrase that Rome was ruined by luxury probably refers to the beginnings of the most ancient tourism on the planet.
