| Summary: | Roman connectivity is often discussed in a (Mediterranean) maritime context, but it is important to understand how inland regions fitted into and benefitted from these connections. Maritime trade was only one element of ancient transport, and rivers and roads allowed for non-coastal communities to connect to the wider Roman world. These connections must be situated within a wider, integrated transportation network.1 Unfortunately, the logistics of riverine transport in the Roman period are poorly understood, mainly due to a lack of detailed documentary evidence.2 It is often assumed that river transport was easy and widespread, but this view is heavily influenced by the modern world where motorized ships and canalized rivers remove many natural hazards and problems that had previously plagued river shipping. Simply put, the view that rivers were always amenable to easy, cheap transport is wrong. Riverine transport was far from easy and was vulnerable to climatic and environmental changes that Romans could not always control or manage. We must come to grips with these realities in order to truly understand the place of riverine transport in the Roman world.
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