This interactive map of the Roman Empire is amazing

Everyone's at least heard of the Roman Empire. But have you ever looked closely at a map of it? Before the internet age, that took some digging.
But these days, we have not just an ordinary map, but a high-quality zoomable Google Maps-style topographical and political map displaying the the empire at its peak extent, stretching from Britannia to Arabia. Created by Johan Åhlfeldt, it includes roads, cities, towns, mines, and many other features. I found myself mesmerized clicking around and trying to figure out the history of various cities deep in the African desert, like Garama Metropolis.
Anyway, it's way cool, and highly absorbing. Check it out here.
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Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at TheWeek.com. His work has appeared in the Washington Monthly, The New Republic, and the Washington Post.
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