The reach of Roman influence did not make halt at the borders of the Empire. Although the splendid network of roads ended at the Limes Romanum, other trade routes continued far into what Romans referred to as "Barbaricum" - the Barbarian Lands. The most important of these ancient paths is the Amber Road. In his NATURALIS HISTORIAE, Plinus Maior describes an official Roman expedition to the Amber Coast commissioned by Emperor Nero. Not only were huge amounts of amber brought to the capital, the length of the route was also measured: The distance from Carnuntum in Pannonia to the Amber Coast was recorded to be about 600,000 Roman steps. This translates to approximately 900 km which is astonishingly precise considering the distance between Vienna and Gdansk today amounts to 940 km! |
Amber
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