Ancient Roman Holiday - Take in Mind

Good day, dear “Take in Mind” readers! Is the heat of July got you, but air conditioning and cold watermelon are not enough? Why not consider taking a trip? But not by plane or cruise ship, that’s too common. How about a journey by horse-drawn carriage, on a donkey, or even on foot? For instance, from Rome to Cordoba, or from Constantinople to Memphis. Sounds intriguing, right? And what if our adventure takes us back in time by approximately 1,800 years, to the year 200 AD?

My friends, I regret to inform you that it won’t be possible to add to your collection of fridge magnets. The journey will be virtual. But let me share a little secret with you – I recently discovered the Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World (also known as ORBIS) that was developed at Stanford University (https://orbis.stanford.edu/). This historical “navigator” allows you to calculate different modes of travel – by foot, river, or sea – through the expansive terrain of the Roman Empire and the nearby regions. That’s almost 10 million square kilometers of land and sea space! ORBIS offers various modes of transportation, including hiking, horseback riding, leisurely cart rides with oxen, and even “military march” mode. The software considers factors like terrain and seasonal limitations when calculating travel speed.

Figure 1. ORBIS modeled roads and rivers.

The sea network comprises 1026 sea routes, which connect 513 source sites and include historical paths and new ones. The total length of all routes is approximately 192,810 km. The software calculates the duration of the journey for two sailing speeds based on ancient Roman navigation features (Fig. 2). By analyzing similar routes, the software estimates and replicates voyages.

Figure 2. Sea routes in July. Coastal routes are presented with light green color, and sea routes are with dark green.

Now the most important condition for the trip – you won’t be able to walk for a “freebie”! The cost of the journey is calculated by ORBIS, so it is essential to have enough Roman denarii in your wallet. For instance, if you plan to travel from Rome to Constantinople in July 200 in “first-class style,” the fare will be around 606 denarii. This amount is equivalent to over 26,000 US dollars in today’s currency (using the old coin calculator). Please bear in mind that this price does not cover food and entertainment during the trip. However, you can take comfort in the fact that the journey will take approximately three weeks, which is the fastest option available…

Are you interested in a more affordable travel option, such as riding a donkey from Alexandria to Damascus? This journey would take approximately 28 days. The cost of feeding the donkey (2 kg of wheat per day) would be around 50 denarii or approximately $2200. If this cost is too high, walking along the ancient Roman roads is also an option.

Finally, ORBIS is an incredible software for both history enthusiasts and those who are simply curious. While waiting for your flight, you can even create your own ancient Roman voyage using the navigator for free. Have a wonderful holiday and enjoy both your physical and virtual travels!

“Plato is my friend, but truth is a better friend”

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Scientific Humor

About man’s fidelity!

…and there is another story. Once Thomas Edison’s wife told him: “Darling, you are so tired! Go somewhere, relax, have a rest, enjoy your time…” Edison listened to his wife’s wise advice, instantly packed up, and disappeared somewhere… The next day she found the inventor… in his own laboratory, where he actually spent the previous day and night, working with enthusiasm. To her surprised question, happy Edison replied: “Oh my, I’ve rested so well!”

Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) was a famous American inventor and businessman

Take a look

Once upon a time, a Brahmin (sage) invented the game of chess to teach the cruel Raja (the ruler) to treat his subjects well. In that game, the “Raja” (the name of one of the chess pieces) is the head of the state. If the “Raja” is captured, then his state ceases to exist. In case of danger, the “Raja” cannot survive without his faithful defenders and assistants – other figures.

The Raja was amazed by the game, understood its meaning, and promised not to oppress his subjects in the future. He then asked the Brahmin to choose the greatest reward he may wish for. The Brahmin replied that he wants to be rewarded with… wheat, but based on the following calculation: put one grain on the first cell of the chessboard, two on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth, etc., doubling the number of grains on each subsequent cell.

The Raja, seeing that there are only 64 cells on the board, was surprised at the insignificance of the request. He decided that it’ll take about one or two sacks of wheat to fulfill it and gave the order to issue the reward immediately. Soon, the court mathematicians reported that the Raja would have to give so many grains, for which it would be necessary to sow the entire Earth, and the grown wheat would be enough to feed the whole population of Earth for 100 years.

Of course, the Raja could not fulfill his hasty promise and received another wise lesson from the inventor of the game of chess.

— A folk tale. Retold in the book “A complete course of chess: 64 lessons for beginners and not very experienced player”s, by S.B. Gubnitsky, M.G. Khanukov, S.A. Shedey.

The photo (own work) illustrates the second part of the fable, about exponential growth. In some variations, rice is requested instead of wheat, but in the photo, Wild Rice is used. The chess pieces’ positions are not random but positioned as in one of the first known chess riddles. In fact, it’s not even a chess riddle, but a Mansuba, a Shatranj problem, composed by Abu Na’im al Khadim (9th century). Shatranj is an old form of chess, with very similar rules. The differences in the rules don’t affect the riddle. White to move, and mate in three.

An easier view of the riddle is available in the first comment. Can you solve one of the oldest chess riddles?

Image source: Own work.

Think about

A few words about imagination

“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” ― Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist.

The great German mathematician David Hilbert (1862–1943) noticed that one of his students had started missing his lectures. When he asked for the reason, he was told that the student had left mathematics in favor of poetry. “Ah, yes,” said Hilbert, “I always thought he didn’t have enough imagination for mathematics…”

It is strange that only extraordinary men make the discoveries, which later appear so easy and simple. Georg Lichtenberg (1742 – 1799) was a German experimental physicist.

“You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself.” Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an Italian astronomer, mathematician, physicist, and philosopher.

“To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” — Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931) was an American inventor and businessman.