Suave, mari magno: Rome, navigation and its seas

Abstract

The importance of the ocean in the history of Rome is under-appreciated. Nonetheless, the development, expansion, and maintenance of the Empire relied on dominance of the sea, initially of the Mare Nostrum but later of other regions, such as the Atlantic and the Red Sea. This was to be expected of a global empire dependent on the control of sea routes. Perhaps more remarkable is that in doing this it demonstrate to an unusual degree the capacity to integrate the alien (the ‘other’) whether provincial or not. The extent of this is apparent from testimonies that are to be found from Scotland to India, and it is one of the most interesting aspects of Roman history and culture from the technological, political, and social standpoint.