Traffic and Congestion in the Roman Empire

by Cornelis van Tilburg

The first book to ever examine ancient Roman traffic, this well-illustrated volume looks in detail at the construction of Roman road, and studies the myriad of road users of the Roman civilians, wagons and animals, the cursus publicus, commercial use and the army. Through this examination, Cornelis van Tilburg reveals much of town planning in ancient the narrow paths of older cities, and the wider, chessboard-patterned streets designed to sustain heavy traffic.
He discusses toll points and city gates as measures taken to hamper traffic, and concludes with a discussion as to why the local governments' attempts to regulate the traffic flow missed their targets of improving the infrastructure.
This book will interest any student, scholar or enthusiast in Roman history and culture.

264 pages, Hardcover

First published February 23, 2007

Reviews

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The actual title is "Traffic and Congestion in the Roman Empire." Van Tilburg makes an exhaustive survey of the scope of the roads and traffic to determine whether ancient dwellers in the Empire experienced regular traffic jams like modern commuters. Short answer: Only inside some cities but not on interurban roads.