The Late Antique and Byzantine Road-Network In Western Anatolia: Some Additions To A Widely Ramified System

Abstract

The network of communication roads and routes in Western Anatolia dates essentially from the Roman period: its strengthening started immediately after the founding of the province Asia in 133 / 129 BCE. In later generations, the system expanded, and in late antiquity, it reached its greatest extent. Then, in the middle ages, only single sections of varying lengths were in use, due to political conditions, numerous threats, weathering and climatic influences. There was no further expansion of the road system anymore; the width of many communication routes shrank considerably. At various locations in Western Asia Minor, one can find ancient or medieval bridges, milestones and original road sections of various length. Indeed, between these archaeologically documented fixed-points the course of the roads needs to be re-constructed. Most road models refer to the Barrington Atlas, offered by Richard Talbert and his team in the year 2000. Unfortunately, this system is partly incomplete. Therefore, the aim of our article is to present some additions. For example, one has to add a local road between Perperēnē / Theodosiupolis and Trarion in the area of modern Aşağıbey; another one led through the mountain range of Yunt dağı and connected the cities of Gambreion near Poyracık and Hermokapeleia / Beşiktepe. Several Roman roads existed in Northern Lydia as well as east of the Lycus valley. Furthermore, they existed on Karaburun Yarımadası, where they connected the local settlements with the regions in the hinterland of Smyrna / İzmir and Ephesus / Selçuk.