Chapter 24—The Voyage and Shipwreck
“And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they
delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a
centurion of Augustus’ band. And entering into a ship of Adramyttium,
we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a
Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.”
Adramyttium was situated upon the west coast of the province of
Asia; therefore the travelers could perform but a part of their journey
in a ship bound for that city. But in some of the larger ports at which
the vessel touched, they would be likely to find a ship in which they
could embark for Rome.
In the first century of the Christian era, traveling by sea as well
as by land was attended with far greater difficulty than at the present
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time. The arts of ship-building and navigation were not then matured
as now. Mariners directed their course by the sun and stars; and when
these did not appear, and there were indications of storm, they were
fearful of trusting their vessels to the open sea.
The season of safe navigation was already far advanced, before
the apostle’s ship left Caesarea, and the time was fast approaching
when travel by sea would be closed for the year. Every day’s delay
increased the peril of the voyage. But the journey which would be
difficult and dangerous to the ordinary traveler, would be doubly trying
to the apostle as a prisoner. Roman soldiers were held responsible
with their own lives for the security of their prisoners, and this had led
to the custom of chaining prisoners by the right wrist to the left wrist
of soldiers, who relieved each other in turn. Thus not only could the
apostle have no movement free, but he was placed in close and constant
connection with men of the most uncongenial and absolutely repulsive
character; men who were not only uneducated and unrefined, but who,
from the demoralizing influence of their surroundings, had become
brutal and degraded. This custom, however, was less rigidly observed
on shipboard than when prisoners were ashore. One circumstance
greatly lightened the hardships of his lot. He was permitted to enjoy
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