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The Roads Of Ancient Cyprus
This book, the first on its subject, traces the development of the Cypriot road network over a period of a thousand years, drawing on a combination of archaeological, epigraphic and literary sources. Separate chapters deal with travellers and life on the road, transport technology and the legal and administrative context of road building.
It is often assumed that the primary purpose of Roman road building was military domination, but, as this study demonstrates, road development in Cyprus is best understood in terms of communication between cities and their territories and the day-to-day exchanges between town and countryside.
It is often assumed that the primary purpose of Roman road building was military domination, but, as this study demonstrates, road development in Cyprus is best understood in terms of communication between cities and their territories and the day-to-day exchanges between town and countryside.
307 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 29, 2025
This is a well organized and very well illustrated book on a rather narrow topic. The main subjects are the development and character of the ancient road system on the island of Cyprus, with an emphasis on the Roman period.
The author begins by reviewing some of the principal sources on which he relies. One is the first century AD Geography of Strabo (see my separate review of that work). Another is the second century sets of coordinates published by the Greco-Roman geographer Claudius Ptolemaeus living in Alexandria. A third source is the Tabula Peutingeriana, a medieval copy of a late Roman depiction of roads. These sources are all essentially itineraries rather than what a modern reader would view as a map.
The author also refers frequently to the detailed triangulated survey carried out in 1878-82 by the young Horatio Herbert Kitchener, who later became an English baron after his victory at the Battle of Khartoum.
The book offers a good general chapter on Roman road construction, followed by a set of maps showing how ancient roads gradually multiplied across Cyprus. After that, the author offers a series of chapters explaining what is known about ancient roads in each part of the island. Those descriptions are accompanied by numerous photographs giving readers a feel for roads and countryside in each region. Each road segment is also cross-referenced to a 27-page atlas, where ancient roads are overlaid on Kitchener's 19th century map.
This kind of book would be particularly useful in planning a visit to Cyprus. One thing I would have liked the author to add are more references to local castles, churches and other interesting sights that can be seen by travelers who follow the roads that he describes.
It's a thoroughly researched book with numerous illustrations, and it's an invitation to visit the hilly country of an ancient island.
The author begins by reviewing some of the principal sources on which he relies. One is the first century AD Geography of Strabo (see my separate review of that work). Another is the second century sets of coordinates published by the Greco-Roman geographer Claudius Ptolemaeus living in Alexandria. A third source is the Tabula Peutingeriana, a medieval copy of a late Roman depiction of roads. These sources are all essentially itineraries rather than what a modern reader would view as a map.
The author also refers frequently to the detailed triangulated survey carried out in 1878-82 by the young Horatio Herbert Kitchener, who later became an English baron after his victory at the Battle of Khartoum.
The book offers a good general chapter on Roman road construction, followed by a set of maps showing how ancient roads gradually multiplied across Cyprus. After that, the author offers a series of chapters explaining what is known about ancient roads in each part of the island. Those descriptions are accompanied by numerous photographs giving readers a feel for roads and countryside in each region. Each road segment is also cross-referenced to a 27-page atlas, where ancient roads are overlaid on Kitchener's 19th century map.
This kind of book would be particularly useful in planning a visit to Cyprus. One thing I would have liked the author to add are more references to local castles, churches and other interesting sights that can be seen by travelers who follow the roads that he describes.
It's a thoroughly researched book with numerous illustrations, and it's an invitation to visit the hilly country of an ancient island.
July 28, 2015
I read this book as part of school research on the relationship between ancient Greece and Cyprus, but the book focuses mostly on the Roman period. However it was still very interesting and worth a look if you're interested in Roman history.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews