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The Via Egnatia (Greek: ) was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It crossed the Roman provinces of Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thrace, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey. Starting at Dyrrachium (now Durrës) on the Adriatic Sea, the road followed a difficult route along the river Genusus (Shkumbin), over the ''Candaviae'' (Jablanica) mountains and thence to the highlands around Lake Ohrid. It then turned south, following several high mountain passes to reach the northern coastline of the Aegean Sea at Thessalonica. From there it ran through Thrace to the city of Byzantium (later Constantinople, now Istanbul).〔Richard J. A. Talbert, ''Barrington atlas of the Greek and Roman world: Map-by-map Directory'', p. 749. Princeton University Press, 2000. ISBN 0-691-04945-9〕 It covered a total distance of about 1,120 km (696 miles / 746 Roman miles). Like other major Roman roads, it was about six metres (19.6 ft) wide, paved with large polygonal stone slabs or covered with a hard layer of sand.〔Elena Koytcheva, "Logistical problems for the movement of the early crusaders through the Balkans: transport and road systems", p. 54 in ''Proceedings of the 21st International Congress of Byzantine Studies'', ed. Elizabeth Jeffreys. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, 2006. ISBN 0-7546-5740-X〕 ==Construction== The main literary sources for the construction of the road are Strabo's ''Geographica'' and a number of milestones found along the route's length, marking the road for a length of 860 kilometres as far as the border between Macedonia and Thrace at the river Hebrus (Maritsa). Bilingual inscriptions on the milestones record that Gnaeus Egnatius, proconsul of Macedonia, ordered its construction, though the exact date is uncertain; the road presumably took its name from its builder.〔G. H. R. Horsley, ''New Documents Illustrating Early Christianity'', p. 81. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1982. ISBN 0-8028-4511-8〕 It may have succeeded an earlier military road from Illyria to Byzantium, as described by Polybius and Cicero, which the Romans apparently built over and/or improved.〔Ben Witherington III, ''1 and 2 Thesssalonians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary'', fn. 11 p. 3. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2006. ISBN 0-8028-2836-1.〕 The Via Egnatia was constructed in order to link a chain of Roman colonies stretching from the Adriatic Sea to the Bosphorus. The termini of the Via Egnatia and the Via Appia, leading from Rome itself, were almost directly opposite each other on the east and west shores of the Adriatic Sea. The route, thus gave the colonies of the southern Balkans a direct connection to Rome. It was also a vital link to Roman territories further to the east; until a more northerly route across Illyria was opened under Augustus it was Rome's main link with her empire in the eastern Mediterranean. It was repaired and expanded several times but experienced lengthy periods of neglect due to Rome's civil wars. The road was used by the Apostle Paul on his second missionary journey as he traveled from Philippi to Thessalonica (Acts 16-17). It also played a vital role in several key moments in Roman history: the armies of Julius Caesar and Pompey marched along the Via Egnatia during Caesar's civil war, and during the Liberators' civil war Mark Antony and Octavian pursued Cassius and Brutus along the Via Egnatia to their fateful meeting at the Battle of Philippi. Surviving milestones record that the emperor Trajan undertook extensive repairs of the road prior to his campaign of 113 against the Parthians. However, by the 5th century AD the road had largely fallen into disuse as a result of violent instability in the region.〔 A 5th-century historian noted that the western sections of the Via Egnatia were in such a poor state that travellers could barely pass along it.〔John F. Haldon, ''Warfare, State and Society in the Byzantine World'', p. 54. Routledge, 1999. ISBN 1-85728-495-X.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Via Egnatia」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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