navigating

[Anonymous]

Could anyone help me with how Romans navigated in terms of direction? Did they use north, east, south and west or some kind of equivalents? <p></p><i></i>

[mcbishop]

<em>Could anyone help me with how Romans navigated in terms of direction? Did they use north, east, south and west or some kind of equivalents?</em><br>
<br>
Much the same as us, really. North (<em>septentrio</em>), south (<em>meridies</em>), east (<em>oriens</em>), and west (<em>occidens</em>) were fundamental to their system and like all ancient peoples these were tied into the location (and movements) of the sun, moon, and constellations. They were also positively anal in their classification of winds, which split the four cardinal points even further (Boreas, the north wind, being perhaps the best known). Roman poets loved writing about this sort of thing and I seem to recall it turns up with almost anorak fervour in the <em>Aeneid.</em><br>
<br>
You may find it worth your while wading through O.A.W. Dilke's <em>Greek and Roman Maps</em> (London 1985)... or you may not!<br>
<br>
Mike Bishop <p></p><i></i>

[Praefectusclassis]

And it may be interesting to know that the wind mainly blows from the north in the Med, making the crossing from Italy to Africa or Egypt an easy and quick one. But the way back was roundabout, using the currents along the shores of Egypt, Palestine, Cyprus, Greece and then to Malta, Sicily and Ostia. <p>Greets<br>
<br>
Jasper</p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

IIRC, weren't many Roman maps linear- pointing out key landmarks on the way to (say) Eboracum from Colchester rather than directional?<br>
<br>
Paul <p></p><i></i>

[Praefectusclassis]

Yup. Goes for searoutes too. <p>Greets<br>
<br>
Jasper</p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

Thanks gang. Most helpful. Just finishing the edits on book six and needed to make sure I got my facts right. Cheers! <p></p><i></i>