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8 WAYS ROADS HELPED

ROME RULE THE
ANCIENT WORLD
Explore eight reasons why this remarkable transit system helped unite the
ancient world.
THEY WERE THE KEY TO ROMES MILITARY MIGHT.
The first major Roman roadthe famed Appian Way, or queen of the
roadswas constructed in 312 B.C. to serve as a supply route between
republican Rome and its allies in Capua during the Second Samnite War.
From then on, road systems often sprang from Roman conquest. As the
legions blazed a trail through Europe, the Romans built new highways to
link captured cities with Rome and establish them as colonies. These routes
ensured that the Roman military could out-pace and out-maneuver its
enemies, but they also aided in the everyday maintenance of the Empire.
Reduced travel time and marching fatigue allowed the fleet-footed legions
to move as quickly as 20 miles a day to respond to outside threats and
internal uprisings. Even the most isolated parts of the Roman world could
expect to be swiftly supplied or reinforced in the event of an emergency,
lessening the need for large and costly garrison units at frontier outposts.
THEY WERE INCREDIBLY EFFICIENT.
Since Roman roads were designed with speed of travel in mind, they often
followed a remarkably straight trail across the countryside. Land surveyors,
or gromatici, began the building process by using sighting poles to
painstakingly chart the most direct route from one destination to another.
The resulting roads often shot straight up steep hills, and small bridges and
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tunnels were built to ensure the path could traverse rivers or pass right
through mountains. Even in instances where the road was forced to divert
from its course, the Romans typically opted for sharp turns and
switchbacks over sweeping curves to preserve their arrow-straight design.
Britains Fosse Way, for example, only veered a few miles off course over its
entire 180-mile distance.
THEY WERE EXPERTLY ENGINEERED.
Roman builders used whatever materials were at hand to construct their
roads, but their design always employed multiple layers for durability and
flatness. Crews began by digging shallow, three-foot trenches and erecting
small retaining walls along either side of the proposed route. The bottom
section of the road was usually made of leveled earth and mortar or sand
topped with small stones. This was followed by foundation layers of
crushed rocks or gravel cemented with lime mortar. Finally, the surface
layer was constructed using neatly arranged blocks made from gravel,
pebbles, iron ore or hardened volcanic lava. Roads were built with a crown
and adjacent ditches to ensure easy water drainage, and in some rainy
regions they were even nestled on raised berms known as aggers to
prevent flooding.

THEY WERE EASY TO NAVIGATE.

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As the made their way down one of Romes many roadways, weary
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travelers could guide themselves by a detailed collection of mile markers.

Much like the road signs on modern interstates and freeways, these stone
pillars gave the distance to the nearest town in Roman miles and instructed
the traveler on the best places to stop. They also provided information on
when the road was built, who constructed it and who last repaired it. To
embody the idea that all roads lead to Rome, the Emperor Augustus even
saw that a so-called golden milestone was placed in the Roman Forum.
Cast from gilded bronze, this monument listed the distance to all the citys
gates and was considered the convergence point of the Empires road
system.
THEY INCLUDED A SOPHISTICATED NETWORK OF POST HOUSES AND
ROADSIDE INNS.
Along with road signs and mile markers, Roman roads were also lined with
state-run hotels and way stations. The most common of these ancient rest
stops were the horse changing stations, or mutationes, which were
located every ten miles along most routes. These simple posthouses
consisted of stables where government travelers could trade their winded
horse or donkey for a fresh mount. Switching horses was especially
important for imperial couriers, who were tasked with carrying
communications and tax revenues around the Empire at breakneck speed.
By stopping off at multiple posthouses, couriers could move as far as 60
miles in a single day. Along with the more common mutationes, travelers
could also expect to encounter roadside hotels, or mansiones, roughly
every 20 miles. Each mansio offered basic lodgings for people and their
animals as well as a place to eat, bathe, repair wagons or even hire a
prostitute.
THEY WERE WELL-PROTECTED AND PATROLLED.
To combat the activities of thieves and highwaymen, most Roman roads
were patrolled by special detachments of imperial army troops known as
stationarii and beneficiarii. These soldiers manned police posts and
watchtowers in both high traffic and remote areas to help guide vulnerable
travelers, relay messages and keep an eye out for runaway slaves. They
also doubled as toll collectors. Like modern highways, Roman roads were
not always free of charge, and troops were often waiting to levy fees or
taxes on goods whenever the route reached a bridge, mountain pass or
provincial border.
THEY ALLOWED THE ROMANS TO FULLY MAP THEIR GROWING EMPIRE.
Much of what historians know about Romes road system comes courtesy
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of a single artifact. Named for its medieval owner, Konrad Peutinger, the
Peutinger Table is a 13th century copy of an actual Roman map created
sometime around the 4th century A.D. This eye-catching atlas was drawn
on a 22-foot-long collection of parchment and shows the entire Roman
world in full color along with several thousand place names. Cities are
illustrated with sketches of small houses or medallions, but the map also
includes the locations of lighthouses, bridges, inns, tunnels, andmost
importantlythe Roman highway system. All the major Roman roads are
listed, and the map even gives the distances between various cities and
landmarks. The Peutinger map has proven indispensable to scholars
studying the Roman transit system, yet historians still debate its original
purpose. Some have claimed it was a field guide for government figures
traveling on official business, while others contend it was displayed in an
imperial palace.
THEY WERE BUILT TO LAST.
Thanks to their ingenious design and careful construction, Roman roads
remained technologically unequaled until as recently as the 19th century.
But while modern asphalt highways might offer a smoother ride than the
Via Domitiana or the Appian Way, Romes 2,000-year-old roadways take the
prize for durability. Many Roman roads were used as major thoroughfares
until only recently, and someincluding the Via Flaminia and Britains
Fosse Waystill carry car, bike and foot traffic or serve as the guiding route
for highways. Romes enduring engineering legacy can also be seen in the
dozens of ancient bridges, tunnels and aqueducts still in use today.

Article Details:

8 Ways Roads Helped Rome Rule the Ancient

World
Author
Evan Andrews
Website Name
History.com
Year Published
2014
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Title
8 Ways Roads Helped Rome Rule the Ancient World
URL
http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/8-ways-roads-helped-rome-rulethe-ancient-world
Access Date
October 05, 2016
Publisher
A+E Networks

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