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Antonine Itinerary
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The Antonine Itinerary (in Latin: Antonini Itinerarium) is a register of the stations and distances along the various roads of the Roman empire, containing directions how to get from one Roman settlement to another. 'Antonini Itinerarium' is seemingly based on official documents, probably of the survey organized by Julius Caesar, and carried out under Augustus. Due to the scarcity of other extant sources of this information, it is a very valuable source.
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The Antonine Itinerary (in Latin: Antonini Itinerarium) is a register of the stations and distances along the various roads of the Roman empire, containing directions how to get from one Roman settlement to another. 'Antonini Itinerarium' is seemingly based on official documents, probably of the survey organized by Julius Caesar, and carried out under Augustus. Due to the scarcity of other extant sources of this information, it is a very valuable source. Nothing is known with certainty as to the date or author. It is considered probable that the date of the original edition was the beginning of the 3rd century, while that which we possess is to be assigned to the time of Diocletian. Although traditionally ascribed to the patronage of Antoninus Augustus, if the author or promoter of the work is one of the emperors, it is most likely to be Antoninus Caracalla.
The British section can be described as the 'Road Map' of Roman Britain. There are 15 such itineraries in the document.
Itinerary 14
As an example, here is the original Latin for route 14 followed by a translation.
Original Latin
ITER XIV
Item alio itinere ab Isca Calleva mpm ciii sic
- Venta Silurum viiii
- Abone xiiii
- Traiectus viiii
- Aquis Solis vi
- Verlucione xv
- Cunetione xx
- Spinis xv
- Calleva xv
English Translation
Itinerary 14
Likewise an alternate route from Isca Silurum to Calleva Atrebatum one-hundred and three thousand paces thus written
- Caerwent, Monmouthshire 9,000 paces
- Sea Mills, Gloucestershire 14,000 paces
- possibly Bitton, nr. Willsbridge, Gloucestershire 9,000 paces
- Bath, Somerset 6,000 paces
- Sandy Lane, Wiltshire 15,000 paces
- Mildenhall, Wiltshire 20,000 paces
- Speen near Newbury, Berkshire 15,000 paces
- Silchester, Hampshire 15,000 paces
From this it can be calculated that a Roman Pace seems to be about 4.69 feet (1.42 metres). As a Roman pace was of two steps, left plus right, this is a reasonable figure when on a route march with arms and equipment. The Roman mile was 1,000 of these paces which would make it 1,698.3 yards.
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