Via Hadriana
Encyclopedia
The Via Hadriana was an ancient Roman road
established by the emperor Hadrian
, running from Antinopolis
to the Red Sea
at Berenike. It was finished in 137 AD. Traces of the road line were noted by Couyat (1910) and Murray (1925) who recorded the sites of several small mansio
s in the southern part of the road, but few in the north and none at all on the west-east stretch between Antinopolis and the coast. Many of these road stations had fortified watering points (hydreuma
ta).
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
established by the emperor Hadrian
Hadrian
Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
, running from Antinopolis
Antinopolis
Antinopolis was a city founded at an older Egyptian village by the Roman emperor Hadrian to commemorate his deified young beloved, Antinous, on the east bank of the Nile, not far from the site in Upper Egypt where Antinous drowned in 130 AD...
to the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
at Berenike. It was finished in 137 AD. Traces of the road line were noted by Couyat (1910) and Murray (1925) who recorded the sites of several small mansio
Mansio
In the Roman Empire, a mansio was an official stopping place on a Roman road, or via, maintained by the central government for the use of officials and those on official business whilst travelling.-Background:The roads which traversed the Ancient World, were later surveyed,...
s in the southern part of the road, but few in the north and none at all on the west-east stretch between Antinopolis and the coast. Many of these road stations had fortified watering points (hydreuma
Hydreuma
In Hellenistic and Roman Arabia and Egypt, a hydreuma was an enclosed "watering station" at wadis in dry regions. A hydreuma was a manned and fortified watering hole or way station along a caravan route, providing a man-made oasis...
ta).