“The world is a book and those who do not travel read but one page”

These words have historically been attributed to the greatest Christian philosopher of Antiquity, Saint Augustine of Hippo. However, recent research has revealed that it was unlikely that St. Augustine travelled far enough to make that judgment. Being born in 354 AD in Thagaste in Roman Africa (current day Souk Ahras in Algeria) his travels took him only as far as Carthage (current day Tunisia, about 275 km away) and Milan, together forming only a tiny fraction of the modern world. The claim is refuted further by the style of his writings, which hardly ever used metaphors.

Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis, also known as Saint Augustine (354 AD-430 AD)

While historians attempt to settle this matter, it is important to keep in mind that St. Augustine may have travelled only a few hundred kilometers, but in his time, that was the World. He lived in times when horses were the mode of transport, the routes often un-charted, the perils on the way often unknown, the return journey often not guaranteed and traveling across cities often an achievement of a lifetime. And in such an era, to urge people to travel to other lands to learn about the world around you was definitely far-sighted.

Roman Ruins in Carthage, Tunisia

So we ask our readers – if the world was indeed a book, how far into the book will you read ?? Will you judge the book by the cover, and decide not to open a single page? Or will you just look at the contents? Will you devote your life to reading every page? And will your book be a page-turner that finds a unique place in every library long after you are gone, or just a mediocre volume that quickly disappears into oblivion?

There is no right answer to these questions – everyone needs to find their own. As for us at Maps & Stories, we will strive to read every page in the book.  For us, every page is a new story, a new experience, a new learning, a new way to open our mind, a new way to become tolerant, a new way to become accepting of others, a new way to look at life. And so, irrespective of who finally claims credit for having uttered the words, they will continue to be our guiding star.