WHERE DID ANCIENT ROMANS TRAVEL FOR VACATIONS? RESEARCH DETAILS FAVORED LOCATIONS

Many people travel to discover new cultures, find beautiful landscapes, or lay their eyes on a place they waited a lifetime to witness.

It turns out the ancient Romans were no different, and a new map has outlined where the wealthy went on vacation and what attracted them to the destination, Knewz.com has learned.

While travel today is expensive, it was nothing compared to holidays during the Roman times, when it would take weeks or months to travel to the destination, according to Metro.

Matthew Nicholls, from the University of Oxford, told the tabloid that the ancients would often visit the countryside to get out of the city, where they were particularly attracted to seaside and landscape views.

However, he added that vacations near their hometowns were equally important, which is why the Romans became so famous for their festivals, carnivals, and even arena games.

Part of what made vacations feasible in the Roman Empire was that it was relatively safe to travel within the borders, and everybody could speak Latin, according to DW.com.

The people who could afford vacations also typically had servants and slaves, meaning they were entirely focused on the leisure and luxury of their trip.

But, when the travelers chose to visit more exotic destinations, some locations stood apart as being more popular than others.

Egypt

Much like today, the allure of the ancient Egyptians fascinated the Romans, who would seek out the Pyramids and Great Sphinx of Giza.

They were lucky enough to live at a time when the Lighthouse of Alexandria – one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – still stood, meaning they could visit this iconic structure in person.

Plus, the famed relationship between Cleopatra and Julius Caesar must have been a source of intrigue for the Romans who grew up learning the legend of that relationship.

Greece

It turns out that island hopping and visiting ruins is not an original activity, as the Romans also made great efforts to visit Greece and its attractions such as the Oracle of Delphi. They believed the oracle channeled the words of Apollo, who was the god of truth and prophecy.

Much like the Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt, the Colossus of Rhodes still existed during the era, marking yet another Wonder of the Ancient World that the Romans could visit in person.

After visiting the monuments, popular islands for rest and relaxation included Lesbos, Rhodes, and Chios.

England

During the Roman Empire, the spas of Bath, England were among the best in the world, and modern visitors can get an idea of their elaborate opulence by visiting the baths that are still standing today.

But back then, the English spas were the source of legend and were so famous they were even featured in Roman travel guides.

However, it was not all simple leisure, as scientists have found hundreds of “curse tablets” from visitors who were jinxing whoever had just stolen their clothes.

Unfortunately, modern tourists cannot relive the bathing experience, as age has resulted in deadly bacteria infecting the water, making it unswimmable.

2024-02-07T11:39:38Z dg43tfdfdgfd