Ancient Spartans: Forerunners of the Railway since the 6th Century BC!

Ilias Panagiotakakos

from the work of Yiannis A Pikoulas

Key points:

• The ancient Spartans developed a sophisticated carriage road system as early as the 6th century BC.
• This system had many similarities to modern railways, including a standard gauge of 1.40m.
• The network was used for both commercial and military purposes.
• The Romans adopted the Spartan road system and used it until the fall of the Roman Empire.
  

Sparta was not just a military city-state, but also a society of good governance and equal rights. The ancient Spartans used this carriage-based communication system on roads leading to Corinth and the Laconic Gulf. The wheel ruts have a width of 0.05m to 0.15m and a depth of 0.01m to 0.3m. The most important feature is that the gauge was 1.40m, the same as the gauge of today's railways. Is that a coincidence?

If we compare their system to today's standards, we could say that it was a kind of one-way railway. Just as the railway has wheels on rails, the carts of the ancient Greeks travelled steadily within the wheel ruts, which were grooves carved into the rocky terrain.

The network was single-track, allowing only one vehicle to pass at a time. Two-way traffic on the carriage road was practically impossible at difficult points. In this case, one cart would have to leave the wheel ruts, which was impossible, since the terrain did not allow for it on a steep slope, especially if it was also loaded.

The obvious advantages of the Peloponnesian network in the field of land transport and communication, especially for military operations, gradually led to its spread to the rest of Greece. The boldness and craftsmanship of the Greek road builders were remarkable, as they were able to lay out routes on steep slopes, often with gradients of more than 15%, or even in the alpine zone at altitudes of up to 1,600m (e.g., the road along the ridge of the northern Taygetus).

The Roman Empire, as its successor, adopted and used it until its collapse, when there was no longer a strong central authority to regulate the creation and maintenance of the network.

In Homer's Odyssey, Book 4, lines 1-12, the journey of Telemachus to King Menelaus to find his father, Odysseus, is described. The ancient Romans also transported Croceate marble along these roads. The Spartans were not only a military city-state but also pioneers in many fields.

Additional information:

• The Diolkos, a paved trackway near Corinth, is another example of an ancient Greek transportation system that used grooved tracks.
• The ancient Greeks were also skilled engineers who built bridges, tunnels, and other infrastructure projects.
• The development of transportation systems was essential for the growth and prosperity of ancient Greece.