By Land or By Sea: Long Distance Mobility in Roman and Early Medieval Worlds

This presentation explores strategies for encouraging students to consider mobility in the Roman and post-Roman worlds, as well as between the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean regions. Although students in surveys of ancient Rome, pre-modern Europe, or even world history are usually familiar with the Roman road-building skills, there is still a visible tendency to assume that pre-modern people largely stayed put—usually in the place where they were born—unless forced to move by force (such as war or enslavement). Even when students encounter goods from different regions—such as Chinese silks or South Asian spices—in the Roman world, they often have difficulty conceptualizing the logistics and people involved in long-distance trade. This misconception of pre-modern people as static becomes even more pronounced when students encounter the Early Middle Ages. Most imagine medieval people as unable or even unwilling to travel. These assumptions about Roman and medieval mobility are not merely incorrect, but they enable more dangerous stereotypes that portray pre-modern Europe as disconnected from the rest of Afro-Eurasia and as somehow racially or culturally distinct from neighboring regions.

The presentation will introduce an active learning lesson plan focused on Roman and early medieval mobilities. These activities use easily accessible digital tools (such as Google Maps and ORBIS: The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World), as well as primary sources, that allow potential students to explore the realities of long-distance travel, trade, and mobility, and to engage with the experiences of pre-modern travelers. While created with a college course in mind, this lesson plan can also be adjusted for use in a middle or high school classroom.