I-Via Egnatia Umgwaqo Omkhulu Owabangela Ukwanda

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EGREECE

NGO-50 C.E., iqembu lezithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu lafika eYurophu okokuqala ngqá. Lalisabele esimemweni esatholwa umphostoli uPawulu embonweni, esithi: “Welela eMakedoniya usisize.” (IzEnzo 16:9) Isigijimi esiphathelene noJesu Kristu esalethwa uPawulu nabangane bakhe saba nethonya elibabazekayo eYurophu.

Usizo olubalulekile ekwandeni kobuKristu eMakedoniya kwakuyi-Via Egnatia, umgwaqo omkhulu wamaRoma ogandaywe ngamatshe. Ngemva kokufika ethekwini laseNeyapholi (manje eliyiKaválla, eGreece) enyakatho ye-Aegean Sea, kubonakala sengathi lezi zithunywa zevangeli zahamba ngalowo mgwaqo omkhulu zilibangise eFilipi, inhloko-dolobha yesifunda saseMakedoniya. Lomgwaqo wawudlulela e-Amfipholi, e-Apholoniya naseThesalonika, izindawo uPawulu nabangane bakhe abaya kuzo ngokulandelayo.—IzEnzo 16:11–17:1.

Izingxenye zalomgwaqo omkhulu wasendulo zisekhona nanamuhla futhi zisasetshenziswa nsuku zonke. Manje kucetshwa ukwakhiwa komgwaqo omkhulu wesimanje ozohamba ngomzila womgwaqo omdala futhi ubizwe ngegama elifanayo.

Ubani owakha lomgwaqo wokuqala? Wakhiwa nini futhi ngayiphi injongo?

Okwakwenza Ukuba Udingeke

Njengoba iRoma yayiqhubeka nokunqoba kwayo empumalanga, iMakedoniya yaba isifunda saseRoma ngo-146 B.C.E. Nokho, ukutholakala kwalomuzi kwabangela umbuso isidingo esisha—indlela yokuthumela amabutho empi ngokushesha ezifundeni ezintsha. I-Via Appia, noma i-Appian Way, eNhlonhlweni yase-Italy kakade yase ixhumanisa iRoma noGu lwe-Adriatic oluseningizimu-mpumalanga. Kodwa manje umbuso wawusudinga umgwaqo omkhulu ofanayo eNhlonhlweni yaseBalkan, ngakho kwacatshangelwa i-Via Egnatia. Yethiwa ngonjiniyela owayephethe lomsebenzi, undunankulu wamaRoma uGnaius Egnatius.

Njengoba yayisuka edolobheni eliyitheku laseDyrrachium esifundeni sase-Iliriku (eDurres, e-Albania), i-Via Egnatia yayihamba njalo ize iyofika emzini wasendulo waseByzantium (e-Istanbul, eTurkey), ibanga elingaphezu kwamakhilomitha angu-800. Ukwakhiwa kwayo kwaqala ngo-145 B.C.E. futhi kwathatha iminyaka engaba ngu-44. Njengoba kwakuhlosiwe, ngokushesha i-Via Egnatia yaba ithuluzi eliwusizo kakhulu lokwanda kweRoma emazweni aseMpumalanga.

Indawo Okunzima Ukwakha Kuyo Umgwaqo

Nokho, isimo sendawo senza ukuba ukwakhiwa komgwaqo omkhulu kube inselele. Ngokwesibonelo, zisuka nje lomgwaqo uhlangana neLake Ohrid, oyigudla ngasenyakatho. Khona-ke, ngemva kokudlula ezikhaleni zezintaba nokuwelela empumalanga endaweni embi enezigodi, izintaba ezingenamahlathi namathafa anamachibi, lomgwaqo ekugcineni ufinyelela ethafeni eliyinhloko laseMakedoniya.

Njengoba lomgwaqo omkhulu usondela emzini waseThesalonika, unqamula endaweni eyithafa evulekile. Kodwa indawo engasempumalanga yalomuzi inamagquma. Njengoba inqamula kulamagquma, i-Via Egnatia yehlela esigodini esinamachibi anosebe oluyibhaka. Njengoba iqhubeka, inqamula ezigodini nasezindaweni eziyibhaka ize iyofinyelela emzini wasendulo waseNeyapholi.

Ukusuka lapho, lomgwaqo ugudla ugu lwase-Aegean ngasempumalanga uwelele esifundeni saseThrace. Engxenyeni yawo yokugcina, lomgwaqo uyaqonda futhi ube ithafa uze uyosho lapho uphelela khona, eByzantium.

Ukufeza Indima Yawo

I-Via Egnatia yaba umzila oqondile nolula kakhulu phakathi kweRoma nezindawo eyazinqoba ngasempumalanga ye-Adriatic Sea. Yakhuthaza ukwakhiwa kwamakoloni aseRoma emadolobhaneni aseMakedoniya futhi yayithonya ngokunamandla intuthuko yezomnotho, yezomphakathi neyezempucuko kulendawo. Lomgwaqo omkhulu wakwenza kwaba lula ukuthutha ithusi, itiyela, isiliva, izinhlanzi, uwoyela, iwayini, ushizi nezinye izinto.

Ukuchuma okwabangelwa ukuhweba kanjalo kwenza ukuba kube namanye amadolobha kulomgwaqo, njengeThesalonika ne-Amfipholi, phakathi kwamadolobha amakhulu emazweni aseBalkan. Ikakhulukazi iThesalonika yaba isikhungo esibalulekile sezentengiselwano, esicebile ngemisebenzi yezobuciko nempucuko. Yiqiniso, izindleko zokunakekela lomgwaqo zazisingathwa ngokwengxenye imiphakathi umgwaqo owawudlula kuyo. Kodwa lemiphakathi nayo yayijabulela izinzuzo ezicebile zohwebo lwamazwe ngamazwe.

Indima Yawo Ekusakazekeni KobuKristu

Nokho, i-Via Egnatia yalethela abantu abahlala kulendawo inzuzo ephakeme kakhulu kunokuchuma ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo. Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngowesifazane owayengusomabhizinisi owayechuma uLidiya. Wayehlala eFilipi—umuzi wokuqala eYurophu owezwa uPawulu eshumayela izindaba ezinhle. Ngemva kokufika eNeyapholi ngo-50 C.E., umphostoli uPawulu nabangane bakhe bahamba amakhilomitha angu-16 beya enyakatho-ntshonalanga eFilipi besebenzisa i-Via Egnatia.

ULuka wabhala: “Ngosuku lwesabatha saphumela ngaphandle kwesango saya eceleni komfula, lapho sasicabanga ukuthi kwakukhona khona indawo yokuthandaza; futhi sahlala phansi saqala ukukhuluma nabesifazane ababehlangene.” Phakathi kwabesifazane abalalela uPawulu kwakunoLidiya. Ngalo lolo suku, yena nendlu yakhe baba amakholwa.—IzEnzo 16:13, 14.

Lapho besuka eFilipi, uPawulu nabangane bakhe bahamba nge-Via Egnatia benqamula e-Amfipholi nase-Apholoniya beya eThesalonika, okuyibanga elingamakhilomitha angu-120. (IzEnzo 17:1) Ukuze ashumayele izindaba ezinhle eThesalonika, uPawulu wasebenzisa imibuthano yamaJuda yosuku lweSabatha esinagogeni lendawo. Ngakho amaJuda athile noquqaba lwamaGreki baba amakholwa.—IzEnzo 17:2-4.

Ngokufanayo namuhla, oFakazi BakaJehova e-Albania naseGreece basebenzisa izingxenye zawo lomgwaqo omkhulu ukuze bafinyelele abantu abahlala kulezi zindawo. Umgomo wabo uwukusakaza izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, njengoba kwenza umphostoli uPawulu nabangane bakhe abayizithunywa zevangeli. (Mathewu 28:19, 20; IzEnzo 1:8) Ngempela, i-Via Egnatia iwumgwaqo omkhulu waseRoma oye waba usizo ekwandeni okungokomoya, kokubili ekhulwini lokuqala kuqhubeke kuze kube kuleli lama-20!

[Amabalazwe ekhasini 16, 17]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

BRITAIN

EUROPE

AFRICA

BALKAN PENINSULA

IMAKEDONIYA

GREECE

Dyrrachium, e-Iliriku (Durres, Albania)

IThesalonika

I-Apholoniya

I-Amfipholi

IFilipi

INeyapholi (Kaválla)

Byzantium (Istanbul)

BLACK SEA

SEA OF MARMARA

THRACE

AEGEAN SEA

ITrowa

TURKEY

[Imithombo ekhasini 16]

Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1995 Digital Wisdom, Inc.

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Emgwaqweni olibangise eNeyapholi

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Emgwaqweni olibangise eFilipi