Imigwaqo YaseRoma—Izikhumbuzo Zobunjiniyela Basendulo

YISIPHI isikhumbuzo esiphawuleka kunazo zonke eRoma? Ucabanga ukuthi iColosseum esiyinxiwa? Uma sifuna ukukhuluma ngezinto zaseRoma ezakhiwe futhi ezindala kakhulu noma eziye zaba negalelo ekwakheni umlando wakhona, kufanele sikhulume ngemigwaqo.

Emigwaqweni yaseRoma emikhulu kuye kwahanjiswa izimpahla kwahamba namabutho. Kodwa kukhona nokwengeziwe. Isazi semibhalo emidala kakhulu, uRomolo A. Staccioli, sithi ngenxa yale migwaqo “kuye kwasakazeka imibono, ezobuciko kanye nezimfundiso zefilosofi nezenkolo,” kuhlanganise nezobuKristu.

Ezikhathini zasendulo, imigwaqo yaseRoma yayibhekwa njengemisebenzi eyingqayizivele. Amakhulu ngamakhulu eminyaka, abaseRoma bakha inxanxathela yemigwaqo ewusizo eyagcina isingamakhilomitha angaphezu kwangu-80 000 endaweni manje ewela emazweni angaphezu kwangu-30.

Umgwaqo omkhulu wokuqala obalulekile kwakuyiVia Appia, noma uMgwaqo i-Aphiyo. Njengoba wawaziwa njengongqo wemigwaqo, wawuhlanganisa iRoma neBrundisium (manje ebizwa ngokuthi iBrindisi), itheku okwakusukwa kulo uma kuyiwa eMpumalanga. Lo mgwaqo wethiwa ngo-Appius Claudius Caecus, isikhulu saseRoma esaqala ukuwakha cishe ngo-312 B.C.E. Eminye imigwaqo yaseRoma kwakuyiVia Salaria neVia Flaminia, futhi yomibili yayiya empumalanga e-Adriatic Sea, ngakho umuntu wayekwazi ukuya emazweni aseBalkans nasezifundeni zaseRhine naseDanube. IVia Aurelia yayiya enyakatho eGaul naseNhlonhlweni Yase-Iberia, kanti iVia Ostiensis yayiya e-Ostia, eyitheku laseRoma elalithandwa abantu abahamba ngemikhumbi besuka noma beya e-Afrika.

Umsebenzi Wokwakha Omkhulu Kunayo Yonke ERoma

Imigwaqo yayibalulekile eRoma nangaphambi kokuba izakhamuzi zakhona ziqale ukwakha emisha. Idolobha laqhibuka endaweni lapho kwakuhlangana khona imigwaqo yakudala esendaweni ewukuphela kwezibuko ezansi noMfula iTiber. Izincwadi zakudala zithi ukuze bathuthukise imigwaqo abayithola isikhona kakade, abaseRoma benza okwakwenziwa abaseCarthage. Kodwa cishe ngabantu base-Etruria ababeyizingqalabutho zangempela ngaphambi kwabantu baseRoma kwezokwakhiwa kwemigwaqo. Namanje kusabonakala lapho imigwaqo yabo yayihamba khona. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngaphambi kwezikhathi zamaRoma kwakunezindlela eziningi ezincane ezazisetshenziswa kakhulu kuleyo ndawo. Kungenzeka ukuthi kuzo kwakuhamba izilwane zisuka kwamanye amadlelo ziya kwamanye. Nokho, kwakunzima ukuhamba kulezi zindlela ngoba zaziba nobhuqu kakhulu ngezinkathi zonyaka ezomisile futhi zibe nodaka uma kuyinkathi yemvula. AmaRoma ayevame ukwakha imigwaqo yawo phezu kwazo lezi zindlela ezincane.

Imigwaqo yaseRoma yayiklanywa ngokucophelela. Lapho beyakha babeyakha iqine ukuze ingasheshi ukuguga, futhi yayiba usizo ibe mihle. Kwakuzanywa ukuba yenziwe inqamulele ngangokunokwenzeka, futhi yikho lokhu okwenza eminingi yayo ibe nezindawo ezinde eziqondile. Ngakho, kwakudingeka yakhiwe ngokwendlela izwe elimi ngayo. Uma kwenzeka, emagqumeni nasezintabeni, onjiniyela baseRoma babeyakha ikhwele kancane intaba bese iyigudla ngasohlangothini olubheke ilanga. Abasebenzisa le migwaqo babekuthola kukuhle lokhu ngoba kwakunciphisa ukuhlukumezeka okwakungase kubangelwe isimo sezulu esibi.

 Kodwa amaRoma ayeyakha kanjani ngempela imigwaqo yawo? Kwakuhlukahluka, kodwa nansi indlela eye yembulwa abavubukuli.

Kwakuqale kuhlelwe ukuthi umgwaqo uzokwakhiwa kuphi. Lo msebenzi wawenziwa abadabuli bomhlaba (surveyors) bangaleyo nkathi. Ngemva kwalokho, umsebenzi onzima wokugubha wawenziwa amabutho, izisebenzi ezenza umsebenzi onzima noma izigqila. Kwakugujwa imisele emibili elinganisene. Le misele yayigqagqana ngamamitha okungenani angu-2,4, kodwa ngokuvamile yayigqagqana ngamamitha amane, futhi emajikeni yayigqagqana nakakhulu. Lapho isiqediwe ukwakhiwa, imigwaqo yayingaba amamitha ayishumi ububanzi, kuhlanganise nendlela yabahamba ngezinyawo eyayiba sezinhlangothini zombili zomgwaqo. Umhlabathi ophakathi wemisele wawube usususwa. Lapho befika endaweni eqinile babegcwalisa umgodi ngezinto zokwakha ezihlukahlukene. Okokuqala babengase bafake amatshe amakhulu noma izitini ezindala. Ngemva kwalokho babengase bafake amatshe amancane noma  ayizicaba, mhlawumbe ahlanganiswe nosimende, bagcine ngokuthela umgubane.

Eminye imigwaqo yaseRoma yayiwumgubane ohlangene kahle. Kodwa abantu babethanda kakhulu imigwaqo egandayiwe. Ngaphezulu, le migwaqo yayenziwa ngamatshe amakhulu ayizicaba, ngokuvamile ngamadwala ayetholakala endaweni. Yayiphakama kancane maphakathi okwakwenza amanzi emvula ageleze kahle ayongena emiseleni emaceleni omgwaqo. Le ndlela yokwakha yenza ukuba eminye yale migwaqo eyizikhumbuzo iqhubeke ikhona kuze kube sosukwini lwethu.

Cishe ngemva kweminyaka engu-900 kwakhiwe uMgwaqo i-Aphiyo, isazi-mlando saseByzantine, uProcopius sawuchaza ngokuthi “uyamangalisa.” Ngokuqondene namatshe ayizicaba ayeba ngaphezulu, sabhala: “Naphezu kokuthi sekudlule iminyaka nokuthi ziningi izinqola ezazihamba kuwo usuku nosuku, asalokhu esesimweni esihle kakhulu.”

Babenzenjani lapho kunezinto eziyizithiyo, njengemifula? Enye indlela ababeyisebenzisa ukwakha amabhuloho, amanye awo asekhona namanje, futhi afakazela amakhono okwakha amahle kakhulu abantu baseRoma basendulo. Mhlawumbe into engaziwa kangako imihubhe eyayenziwa emigwaqweni yaseRoma, kodwa ukwakhiwa kwayo kwakunzima nakakhulu uma ucabangela izindlela namathuluzi okwakha angaleyo nkathi. Enye incwadi ithi: “Ubunjiniyela baseRoma . . . baphumelela ngendlela eyayingenakuqhathaniswa amakhulu ngamakhulu eminyaka.” Isibonelo salokhu umhubhe osentunjeni yaseFurlo eVia Flaminia. Ngo-78 C.E., ngemva kokuba onjiniyela bewuhlele kahle umsebenzi wabo, kwenziwa umhubhe edwaleni eliqinile ongamamitha angu-40 ubude, obanzi ngamamitha amahlanu futhi ophakeme ngamamitha amahlanu. Lona kwakuwumsebenzi omuhle ngempela uma kucatshangelwa amathuluzi ayekhona ngaleso sikhathi. Ukwakha imigwaqo enjengalena kwakungomunye wemisebenzi ephambili eyake yenziwa umuntu.

Abahambi Nokusakazeka Kwemibono

Amasosha nabathengisi, abashumayeli nabahambi, abadlali basemashashalazini nezilwi babesebenzisa le migwaqo. Abahamba ngezinyawo babehamba amakhilomitha angaba ngu-25 kuya kwangu-30 ngosuku. Abahambi babethola ukuthi angakanani amabanga abazowahamba ngokubheka izinsika ezibonisa amabanga. Lezi zinsika zamatshe ezazibazwa ngezindlela ezingefani, ngokuvamile zibe yindilinga, zazibekwa yonke indawo ngemva kwamamitha angu-1 480—ubude bemayela laseRoma. Kwakuba khona nezindawo zokuphumula, lapho abahambi babeshintsha khona amahhashi,  bathenge okuya ngasethunjini, noma ngezinye izikhathi, balale. Kwahamba kwahamba ezinye zalezi zindawo ezazinalezi zinkonzo zaba amadolobha amancane.

Ngaphambi nje kokuqala kobuKristu, uKhesari Awugustu waqala isimiso sokulungisa imigwaqo. Wamisa izikhulu ezazizonakekela umgwaqo owodwa noma eminingi. Wenza insika eyigolide ebonisa amabanga eyayibizwa ngokuthi i-miliarium aureum futhi wayimisa eNkundleni YaseRoma. Le nsika eyayibhalwe ngamagama ethusi yayisendaweni ekahle kakhulu lapho iphelela khona yonke imigwaqo yaseRoma e-Italy. Saqala kanjalo-ke isaga sakhona esithi: “Yonke imigwaqo iholela eRoma.” U-Awugustu wenza nokuba kube nombukiso wamabalazwe ayo yonke imigwaqo yasembusweni. Kubonakala sengathi le migwaqo yayisesimweni esihle kakhulu ngokwezidingo nangokwezindinganiso zabantu ababephila ngaleso sikhathi.

Ukuze bahambe kalula, abanye abahambi basendulo babeze basebenzise neziqondiso ezibhaliwe, noma izincwadi zendlela. Lezi ziqondiso zazinokwaziswa ngamabanga phakathi kwezindawo ezithile zokuma, kuchazwe nokuthi lezo zindawo zinazinkonzo zini. Nokho, lezi zincwadi zazibiza, ngakho bambalwa ababenazo.

Noma kunjalo, abashumayeli bobuKristu babehlela futhi bahambe amabanga amade kaningi. Njengabantu ababephila esikhathini sakhe, umphostoli uPawulu wayejwayele ukuhamba ngomkhumbi lapho elibangise ngasempumalanga ngoba kwakuba nemimoya enamandla eyayisiza umkhumbi ukuba uhambe. (IzEnzo 14:25, 26; 20:3; 21:1-3) EMedithera, le mimoya ivunguza isuka entshonalanga phakathi nezinyanga zasehlobo. Nokho, lapho uPawulu elibangise ngasentshonalanga, wayevame ukuhamba ngayo le migwaqo yaseRoma. Esebenzisa yona le ndlela, uPawulu wakwazi ukuhlela ukuthatha uhambo lwesibili nolwesithathu lwezithunywa zevangeli. (IzEnzo 15:36-41; 16:6-8; 17:1, 10; 18:22, 23; 19:1) * Cishe ngo-59 C.E., uPawulu wasebenzisa uMgwaqo i-Aphiyo lapho eya eRoma futhi wahlangana namanye amakholwa eNkundleni ka-Aphiyo ephithizelayo, noma eSigcawini sika-Aphiyo, esiqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-74 eningizimu-mpumalanga yeRoma. Abanye bamlinda endaweni eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-14 eRoma endaweni yokuphumula eTresi Thaberne. (IzEnzo 28:13-15) Cishe ngo-60 C.E., uPawulu wakwazi ukuthi izindaba ezinhle zase zishunyayelwe “ezweni lonke” elalaziwa ngaleso sikhathi. (Kolose 1:6, 23) Le migwaqo yasiza kulo msebenzi.

Ngakho, imigwaqo yaseRoma iye yaba isikhumbuzo esimangalisayo nesihlale isikhathi eside—futhi iye yaba negalelo ekusakazweni kwezindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu.—Mathewu 24:14.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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Insika yaseRoma ebonisa amabanga

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Umgwaqo wase-Ostia yasendulo, e-Italy

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Imisele eyabangelwa izinqola zasendulo, e-Austria

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Ingxenye yomgwaqo waseRoma onezinsika ezibonisa amabanga, eJordani

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UMgwaqo i-Aphiyo emaphethelweni aseRoma

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Amathuna amadala kuyiVia Appia ngaphandle kwaseRoma

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Umhubhe iFurlo oseVia Flaminia, esifundeni seseMarche

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IBhuloho LikaThiberiyu eVia Emilia eRimini, e-Italy

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UPawulu wahlangana namanye amakholwa eNkundleni Ka-Aphiyo ephithizelayo, noma eSigcawini sika-Aphiyo

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Far left, Ostia: ©danilo donadoni/Marka/age fotostock; far right, road with mileposts: Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.