Roman road system

The classical civilization of ancient Rome was well-known for its intricate and highly developed system of roads, which inspired the well-known maxim, "All roads lead to Rome." Historians unanimously consider the Roman road system essential to the civilization's regional dominance during the era of the Roman Empire. At its height, the public Roman road system covered an estimated 74,600 miles (120,000 kilometers). Beyond conveying soldiers, commercial goods, and people around the empire, this extensive road system was a prominent display of Roman power and influence.

In addition to the roads themselves, the travel network featured an elaborate and well-developed system of traveler services. State-owned inns, hotels, and way stations were commonly placed along roads, and major routes had regular horse-changing stations. These features made the Roman road system easy to navigate and use and supported the administration of the empire from its central seat of power in the city of Rome.

Background

The first major paved route in what became the Roman road network was Via Appia, or the Appian Way. Construction of the Appian Way began in 312 BCE and connected Rome to the city of Capua in what is now south-central Italy. Called the Regina viarum,or "Queen of Roads," by contemporary Romans, the original length of the Appian Way extended for 132 Roman miles. The Roman mile, or mille passum, was a unit of measurement that equaled one thousand regular paces, with a single pace equal to a distance slightly less than 5 feet (1.5 meters). The 132-mile length of the original Appian Way was equal to a modern measurement of about 122 miles (196 kilometers).

Like highways today, the Appian Way did not alter its course to travel through smaller towns and villages along its route. It continued in a relatively straight line for much of its length and was eventually extended beyond Capua to the ancient city of Brundisium (now known as Brindisi) on modern-day Italy's eastern coast. After this extension, the Appian Way covered a total of 385 Roman miles (about 354 miles or 569 kilometers).

Other major roads were soon built throughout what is now Italy, linking major population centers in a similar manner. Additional examples of well-known early Roman roads include the Via Flaminia, which connected Rome to the city of Fanum (Fano); the Via Aemilia between Placentia and Augusta Praetoria (Aosta); the Via Postiumia that connected Aquileia and Genua (Geona); and the Via Popillia, which linked the northern Italian cities of Ariminum (Rimini) and Padova (Padua) to the southern cities of Capua and Rheghium (Reggio Calabria).

As the Roman Empire grew, so did its road network. The Roman road system eventually extended from Great Britain into and across mainland Europe and continued into the Middle East, where it ended in modern-day Syria. It facilitated the efficient deployment of Roman troops to areas where they were needed, which helped Rome maintain and extend its power and authority. The Via Domitia, which ran from the Alps in present-day France to the Pyrenees in present-day Spain, was used for this purpose to great effect during military campaigns. Another major road, the Via Egnatia, traversed the Balkan Peninsula to Byzantium (Istanbul), providing an essential east-west passage that connected important cities in the Roman Empire's expanding domain across continental Europe.

Overview

Roman roads were designed to facilitate swift and efficient travel over land. For this reason, straight orientations were favored as much as possible. The construction process was guided by surveyors known as gromatici, who used tools known as groma to chart straight lines that were then marked off with stakes and sighting poles. Drainage ditches and retaining walls flanked both sides of major roads, which were usually built slightly higher than the ground they covered. Major roads had a standard width of 13.8 feet (4.2 meters), which allowed horse-drawn carriages traveling in opposite directions to pass each other without stopping.

Roman soldiers performed most of the labor needed to construct the road surfaces, which consisted of three main layers. The bottommost layer was formulated from a combination of mortar, sand, and soil, which was applied to the road surface and then leveled and flattened. Next, a foundation layer consisting of ground rock or lime mortar was added, and a paved surface layer was used to finish the road. This surface layer was made from blocks of stone, iron, or volcanic rock, which were manufactured in a uniform shape and laid in regular, consistent patterns. In areas that tended to experience high levels of precipitation, roads were built on raised apparatuses known as aggers to safeguard against possible flooding. Roman roads were famous for the quality of their construction and were so well-built that a small number of them are still used today. The roads made regular use of advanced architectural features such as bridges, tunnels, and viaducts, which allowed them to maintain their straight course in the face of geographic obstacles.

The road network was patrolled by dedicated classes of imperial soldiers known as stationarii or beneficiarii. These soldiers occupied posts in both highly populated and remote areas to prevent banditry, provide assistance to travelers, and deliver official messages and communications. Some roads in the Roman system required users to pay tolls and duties on goods being brought across provincial borders. Stationarii and beneficiarii collected these user fees.

Traveler services were another defining feature of the Roman road system. Inns, hotels, and way stations run by the Roman state were built along the sides of most roads, and horse-changing stations called mutationes were placed at regular intervals of 10 Roman miles and were available for use by people on official government business. The inns and hotels, known as mansiones, appeared about every 20 Roman miles and offered lodging, food, bathing facilities, and other amenities. Mile markers were posted so travelers could track the distance they had covered or determine how far they were from the nearest horse-changing station, way station, or inn.

Beyond supporting efficient imperial administration, the road network enabled cartographers to create highly detailed and accurate maps of the Roman Empire. Historians agree that the Roman Empire would not likely have been able to conquer and keep the enormous amount of territory it held at its height without its extensive system of paved roads.

Bibliography

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