Iindlela ZaseRoma—Ubuchule Bokwakha Bamandulo

YIYIPHI eyona nto isisikhumbuzo esibalulekileyo eRoma? Ngaba yiHolo Yemidlalo yaseRome, elibhodlo nanamhlanje? Ukuba sifuna ukucinga ngezinto ezakhiwe eRoma neziye zahlala elona xesha lide okanye eziye zabalasela embalini, kuya kufuneka sicinge ngeendlela.

Asizompahla nemikhosi kuphela ebihamba kwiindlela zaseRoma. Isazi ngemikrolo yamandulo uRomolo A. Staccioli uthi kwezi ndlela “kudlule iingcamango, ubugcisa neentanda-bulumko kunye neemfundiso zonqulo,” kuquka nezobuKristu.

Ngaphambili phayaa, iindlela zamaRoma zazigqalwa njengezibalulekileyo embalini. Kumakhulu eminyaka, amaRoma akha iindlela ezazithungelana nezazigubungela ummandla oziikhilomitha ezingaphezu kwama-80 000 ezazidibanisa amazwe angaphezu kwama-30.

Indlela enkulu yokuqala ebalulekileyo kuthiwa yiVia Appia okanye iNdlela ka-Apiyo. Le ndlela eyayisaziwa njengeyona ndlela intle, yayidibanisa iRoma neBrundisium (ngoku ebizwa ngokuba yiBrindisi), idolophu elizibuko ababehamba ngayo abantu xa besiya eMpuma. Le ndlela yathiywa ngoAppius Claudius Caecus, igosa laseRoma elaqala ukuyakha malunga nowama-312 B.C.E. Kwakhona eRoma kwakukho indlela ekwakusithiwa yiVia Salaria neVia Flaminia, zombini ezazityhubela impuma ziye kutshona ngakuLwandle iAdriatic ziye kuqhina kwiBalkans nakumlambo iRhine neDanube. Yona indlela iVia Aurelia yayisinga ngakumntla ukusa ngakwiGaul noSingasiqithi i-Iberia, yona indlela iVia Ostiensis yayijolise eOstia, izibuko laseRoma elithandwa ngabantu abaya nabasuka eAfrika.

Owona Msebenzi Mkhulu Wokwakha ERoma

Iindlela zazibalulekile eRoma nangaphambi kokuba abemi bakhona baqalise ukwakha ezintsha. Apho iindlela zazihlanganisana khona kwakhiwa esi sixeko kwizibukwana elisemazantsi oMlambo iTiber. Ngokutsho kwamaxwebhu amandulo, ukuze aphucule iindlela ezazisele zikho, amaRoma afunda kubemi baseCarthage. Kodwa abona bantu ababenobuchule ngakumbi ekwakheni iindlela ngaphambi kwabemi baseRoma kusenokwenzeka ukuba yayingabo base-Etruria. Ezinye zeendlela zabo zisabonakala unanamhla. Ngapha koko, ngamaxesha angaphambi kwamaRoma kwakukho iindlela ezazihanjwa gqitha kulo mmandla. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba ezi ndlela zazisetyenziswa xa kuqhutywa impahla isiya kwamanye amadlelo. Noko ke, kwakunzima ukuhamba kwezi ndlela ekubeni zazinothuli oluninzi xa libalele zize zibe nodaka xa kusina. AmaRoma ayedla ngokwakha iindlela zawo phezu kwezo ndledlana.

Iindlela zaseRoma zazicetywe kakuhle yaye zomelele, kwakulula ukuhamba kuzo kwaye zintle. Ngokuqhelekileyo, ezi ndlela zazinqumlela, yaye ngenxa yeso sizathu uninzi lwazo zazingenamajiko-jiko. Noko ke, ngamaxesha amaninzi ezi ndlela zazilandela ukuma komhlaba. Xa kunokwenzeka, kwimimandla yeentaba, oononjineli bamaRoma babezakha iindlela zabo emathambekeni, kwicala lentaba elinelanga. Kubantu ababesebenzisa ezi ndlela, kwakuba lula ukuhamba kuzo naxa imozulu ingentle.

Phofu ke amaRoma ayezakha njani iindlela zawo? Ayengasoloko ezakha ngendlela efanayo, kodwa le yindlela esisiseko efunyaniswe ngabembi bezinto zakudala.

Kwakuqala kuzotywe iplani. Loo msebenzi wawusenziwa ngoonocanda baloo maxesha. Emva koko, umsebenzi onzima wokumba wawusenziwa ngamajoni, abaqeshwa, okanye amakhoboka. Kwakusembiwa iindlela ezimbini ezinxuseneyo. Ubuncinane zaziba ziimitha ezisisi-2,4 ukusuka kwenye, kodwa ngokuqhelekileyo zaziba ziimitha ezi-4, zibanzi nangakumbi kwiindawo ezinamagophe. Xa indlela sele igqityiwe yayisenokuba ziimitha ezili-10 ububanzi kuquka neendlela zeenyawo ezazikho macal’ omabini. Emva koko kwakususwa umhlaba ophakathi kwezi ndlela zimbini, nto leyo eyayishiya umngxuma. Emva kokwenza umgangatho owomeleleyo, kuloo mngxuma kwakugalelwa iindidi ezintathu okanye ezine zomhlaba uze ugangathwe. Kwakunokuqaliswa ngamatye amakhulu okanye umhlaba onamatye amancinane. Emva koko kwakugalelwa amatye aziingqalutye okanye asicaba, mhlawumbi axovwe nekonkile. Emva koko kwakugalelwa uhlalutye okanye amatye acoliweyo kuze kugangathwe.

Ezinye iindlela zamaRoma zazenziwe ngohlalutye nje olugangathiweyo. Noko ke, yayiziindlela ezigudileyo ezazithandwa gqitha ngabantu bamandulo. Ngaphezulu kwezo ndlela kwakudla ngokubakho amatye amakhulu asikiweyo, ngokuqhelekileyo amatye awayefumaneka ekuhlaleni. La matye ayeqingqwa ngendlela yokuba amanzi akwazi ukudlulela kwimisele eyayisemacaleni omabini endlela. Le ndlela yokwakha yenza kwakho iindlela ezomeleleyo ezisekho nanamhlanje.

Kwiminyaka enokuba ngama-900 yakhiwe iNdlela ka-Apiyo, umbhali-mbali waseByzantium uProcopius wayichaza le ndlela ngokuthi “isemagqabini.” Ethetha ngamatye angaphezulu, wabhala wathi: “Nakuba kudlule ixesha elide kangaka yaye kuhambe kuzo amawaka eenqwelo suku ngalunye, kunanamhlanje azikonakali ezi ndlela, yaye zisagudile nangoku.”

Ezi ndlela zazidlula njani kwiindawo ezinjengemilambo? Kwakusakhiwa iibhulorho, yaye ezinye zazo zisekho, nto leyo ebonisa ubugcisa obugqwesileyo bamaRoma amandulo. Akukho nto ingako yaziwayo ngeetonela ezazikho kwiindlela zaseRoma, kodwa akuzange kube lula ukuzakha, xa ucinga ngobugcisa bezo mini. Enye incwadi ithi: “Ubugcisa bokwakha bamaRoma . . . bahlala bubalasele kangangeenkulungwane.” Ubungqina boku bubonakala kwitonela eseFurlo egqobhozela kwiVia Flaminia. Ngonyaka wama-78 C.E., emva kokuceba kakuhle koononjineli, kummandla olilitye kwembiwa itonela eziimitha ezingama-40 ubude, iimitha ezi-5 ububanzi neemitha ezili-16 ukuphakama. Enyanisweni lo yayingumsebenzi omhle, ingakumbi xa ucinga ngezixhobo zokusebenza ezazikho ngelo xesha. Ukwakha ezi ndlela yayingomnye wemisebenzi ebalaseleyo, onzima noyingozi owenziwayo.

Abakhenkethi Nokunwenwa Kweengcamango

Amajoni nabarhwebi, abashumayeli nabakhenkethi, abadlali beqonda nabadlali bomlo wamakrele, bonke aba bantu babehamba kwezi ndlela. Abo babehamba ngeenyawo babenokuhamba iikhilomitha ezingama-25 ukusa kwezingama-30 ngosuku. Abakhenkethi babenokuyazi imigama phakathi kweendawo ngokujonga kumatye asecaleni kwendlela achaza imigama. La matye awayemile ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo, ngokuqhelekileyo etsolo, ayemiswe kumgama oziimitha ezili-1 480 ukusuka kwelinye—ubude bekhilomitha yamaRoma. Kwakukho neendawo zokuphumla, apho abakhenkethi babenokukhulula khona amahashe, bathenge ukutya, baze kwezinye iimeko balalise apho. Kwezinye zezi ndawo kwakhiwa kwaza kwakho iidolophu ezincinane.

Ngaphambi nje kokuqalisa kobuKristu, uKesare Awugusto waqalisa ucwangciso lokulungisa iindlela. Wanyula amagosa ukuba anyamekele indlela enye okanye eziliqela. Kwabakho into ekuthiwa yimiliarium aureum, umqondiso omenyezelayo, owawumiswe kwindlela iRoman Forum. Le yipali eyayinamagama obhedu yayimiswe ekupheleni kwazo zonke iindlela zaseRoma ezingena eItali. Oku kwazala intetho ethi: “Zonke iindlela ziya eRoma.” UAwugusto wayenemephu enazo zonke iindlela zobukhosi bakhe eyayinokubonwa nguwonke wonke. Kubonakala ukuba ezi ndlela zazikumgangatho ophakamileyo kubakhenkethi bezo mini.

Abanye abakhenkethi bamandulo babesebenzisa izalathiso ezibhaliweyo xa belungiselela uhambo. Ezi zalathiso zazichaza umgama phakathi kweendawo zokuphumla nezinto onokuzenzelwa kwezo ndawo. Noko ke, ezi zalathiso zazibiza imali eninzi, yaye ngenxa yoko abanye abantu bengakwazi ukuzifumana.

Sekunjalo, abashumayeli abangamaKristu babeceba baze bahambe imigama emide. Umpostile uPawulos njengabanye ababephila ngexesha lakhe, wayekhetha ukuhamba elwandle xa esinge empuma yaye inqanawa yayiqhutywa nguloo moya unamandla uya ngasempuma. (IZenzo 14:25, 26; 20:3; 21:1-3) Kulwandle lweMeditera, le mimoya ibhudla isuka ngasentshona ebudeni beenyanga zehlobo. Noko ke, xa uPawulos wayesinge ngasentshona, wayedla ngokuhamba ngezinto ezihamba emhlabeni, esebenzisa iindlela zaseRoma. UPawulos walulungiselela ngaloo ndlela ke uhambo lwakhe lobuvangeli lwesibini nolwesithathu. (IZenzo 15:36-41; 16:6-8; 17:1, 10; 18:22, 23; 19:1)a Malunga nowama-59 C.E., uPawulos wahamba kwiNdlela ka-Apiyo esinge eRoma yaye apho wadibana namanye amakholwa eAppii Forum, okanye kwiMarike ka-Apiyo eyayiphithizela ngabantu, kwiikhilomitha ezingama-74 emzantsi-mpuma weRoma. Abanye babemlindele kwiikhilomitha ezili-14 kufuphi neRoma kwindawo yokuphumla ekuthiwa yiTavene-Ntathu. (IZenzo 28:13-15) Malunga nowama-60 C.E., uPawulos wakwazi ukuthi iindaba ezilungileyo zishunyayelwe “kulo lonke ihlabathi” elalisaziwa ngelo xesha. (Kolose 1:6, 23) Iindlela zalapho zaba negalelo xa kwakusenziwa loo msebenzi.

Ngoko ke, iindlela zaseRoma ziye zaluncedo gqitha zaza zaba zizikhumbuzo ezingalibalekiyo—eziye zanegalelo ekushunyayelweni kweendaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo.—Mateyu 24:14.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 14]

Umqondiso wamaRoma wokubonisa umgama

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

INdlela ka-Apiyo ngasekuphumeni kweRoma

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

Indlela kwiOstia yamandulo, eItali

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

Imizila eyenziwe ziinqwelo zamandulo, eOstriya

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

Inxalenye yendlela yamaRoma enemiqondiso yokubonisa umgama, eJordan

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Amangcwaba amadala kwiNdlela ka-Apiyo ngaphandle kweRoma

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

ITonela kaFurlo egqobhozela kwiVia Flaminia, kummandla waseMarche

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]

IBhulorho kaThibheriyo kwiVia Emilia eRimini, eItali

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

UPawulos wadibana namanye amakholwa kwiAppii Forum, okanye iMarike ka-Apiyo eyayiphithizela ngabantu

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 15]

Ngasekhohlo, Ostia: ©danilo donadoni/Marka/age fotostock; ngasekunene, iindlela ezinemiqondiso yokubonisa umgama: Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.