Ancient Roman roads covered not only Rome itself, but also its vast empire. First they appeared in Italy, and then their construction was carried out in different parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. The created network connected any point of the empire. Initially, it was intended exclusively for the military, but in peacetime couriers and trade caravans moved along it, which was extremely important for the whole society. The ancient roads were used for many centuries even after the fall of the great empire.
Monument of antiquity
The quality of Roman roads, unique for its time, was the result of state supervision over their construction. Already the laws of the twelve tables (related to the 5th century BC) determined the single width of the paths and obliged the people who lived next to them to enclose their plots.
Each Roman road was paved with stone, making it convenient for travelers and horses. For the first time, the censor Appius Claudius Cycus resorted to such a construction technique. According to his instructions, at the end of the 4th century BC. e. A road was built between Capua and Rome. By the time the republic became an empire, the entire Apennine peninsula was covered by this important transportation network.
The Appian Way established a connection betweenRome proper and overseas countries that later became provinces of the empire: Greece, Asia Minor, Egypt. Today, along what remains of the ancient highway, there are various monuments of the past. These are aristocratic villas used by the Jews and Christians of the catacombs. Medieval fortifications and towers coexist next to them, as well as buildings from the Italian Renaissance.
Rise and fall
Every new Roman road got its name from the name of the censor under which it was built, or from the name of the province. Only those paths that were located in the urban area or on the outskirts of them were paved. The rest of the network was covered with crushed stone, sand and gravel - materials mined in special quarries.
At the height of the power of the ancient empire, Roman roads in total had a length of about 100 thousand kilometers. It was thanks to them that the state received significant income from domestic overland trade. With the help of merchants, economic expansion was carried out. Mediterranean goods now found their way into regions where they were not even dreamed of. Ancient Roman roads helped transport both Iberian wine and Numidian cereals alike.
In the III century, the empire was under attack by numerous barbarian tribes. At first, the armies of the pagans plundered only the border regions. However, when the power of the emperors weakened, the hordes began to penetrate even into Italy. Any Roman road that got in their way made it easier for the barbarians to raid, as in their time for the Latin legions themselves. When the empirecollapsed, the construction of new roads stopped. In the "barbarian kingdoms" of the early Middle Ages, many of the engineering structures of the Romans were abandoned and forgotten.
Ancient tricks
In the Roman state there was a special position of land surveyor. These people were engaged in marking the route of the future road. To facilitate such work, special tools were used. These included long rulers, goniometers, triangular diopters needed to determine height and alignment.
Roads passing through rough terrain were built with a reduced slope for the convenience and safety of travelers. On turns, the track became wider. This was done so that the carts that were opposite each other had the opportunity to pass without incident.
Construction progress
Each Roman road began with the fact that in its place all the growth and any bush were cut down. After carrying out geodetic calculations and measurements, markings were made. This was followed by the design, which was carried out by engineers. Slaves, prisoners or soldiers participated in the construction. Among them were masons, who cut down special slabs laid in the foundation of roads.
Construction was carried out simultaneously on different sites located at a distance from each other. The road consisted of several layers and therefore rose slightly above the flat terrain. If the route ran through the hills, then the workers could buildspecial embankments and ditches. Artificial elevations and depressions helped to make the transport artery smooth and comfortable. With the threat of subsidence, the old Roman roads were equipped with props.
The foundation consisted of unhewn stone blocks. The gaps between them were the simplest drainage system (ditches were also dug along the tracks for drainage). The next layer of sand or gravel was necessary to level the surface. On top lay earth or lime, necessary to give the canvas softness. In some cases, the road could be divided into two paths. One was for horses, the other for pedestrians. This feature was extremely useful if the troops used the road.
Post and policing
In ancient Rome, there was the most perfect postal service for that time. Couriers using the road network quickly spread news and messages to various parts of the vast empire. In a day they could cover a distance of 75 kilometers, which was an incredible achievement for the ancient era. As a rule, couriers rode on wagons loaded to the brim with boxes. If the message was urgent, the postal clerk could drive it separately on horseback.
To emphasize their status, couriers wore special leather headdresses. Their service was dangerous, as robbers could attack travelers. Guard posts were built along the roads. The military kept order on the roads. Some camps gradually grew into fortresses and even towns.
Taverns andtaverns
Long trips could not do without rest. For this purpose, state builders erected overnight stations. They were located approximately 15 kilometers apart. The horses were also changed there. Even more convenient, but rare were inns and taverns. In them, travelers could buy things useful on the road, which were sold by a blacksmith or a tavern keeper.
Some taverns (especially in outlying provinces) had a bad reputation. Then travelers could spend the night with local residents. It is known that the widespread custom of hospitality was adopted in Roman society. In addition to inns, barns and warehouses could be found on the roads. They were run by a special service responsible for supplying cities with food.
Bridges
Like the most famous Roman road (Appian, leading from the capital to Capua), almost all other roads were built in a straight line. The builders avoided swamps. If the route followed across the river, then the designers tried to find a ford. However, Roman bridges were also distinguished by their quality, and some of them (like Trajan's bridge over the Danube) even survived to this day.
During the war, the authorities could deliberately destroy the crossing over the river to prevent the enemy from penetrating deep into the territory of the empire. But even in this case, the former supports remained, and subsequently the bridges were quickly restored. Arches were a characteristic feature of their structure. Wooden bridges were more fragile but cheaper.
Some crossings were mixeddesign. The supports could be stone, and the flooring could be wooden. This was the bridge in Trier, on the border of the empire with Germany. It is characteristic that today only ancient stone pillars have been preserved in the German city. Pontoon bridges were used to cross too wide rivers. There was also a practice of arranging a ferry service.
Antique Road Maps
During the reign of Emperor Caracalla at the beginning of the 3rd century, Antonin's Itinerary was compiled - an index book that listed not only all the roads of the empire, but also their distances, as well as other curious data. Since the construction of Roman roads continued in subsequent years, the collection was rewritten and supplemented several times.
Many ancient maps were subsequently kept for centuries in monastic libraries throughout Western Europe. In the 13th century, an unknown author made a parchment copy of such an ancient document. The artifact was called Peitinger's Table. The 11-page roll depicts the entire Roman Empire and its road network at the pinnacle of its greatness.
There is no doubt that the trade routes served as a source of knowledge for ancient people about the world full of mysteries. On the famous table, it was precisely around the roads that the names of various tribes that inhabited vast expanses from Africa to England and from India to the Atlantic Ocean were recorded.
Public roads
There are many sources about how Roman roads were built. Such, for example, are the works of Sikul Flak - the famousancient surveyor. In the empire, roads were divided into three types. The first were called public, or praetorian. Such paths connected the largest and most important cities.
Public roads, which were up to 12 meters wide, were built by the state at the expense of the treasury. Temporary taxes were sometimes introduced to finance their construction. In this case, taxes were levied on the cities to which these roads of the Roman Empire led. It also happened that the route ran through lands owned by large and we althy owners (for example, aristocrats). Then these citizens also paid tax. Public paths had caretakers - officials who monitored the condition of the canvas and were responsible for its repair.
Country and private roads
Country roads branched off from wide public roads (the second type, according to the ancient classification). These paths connected the surrounding villages with civilization. They accounted for the bulk of the imperial transport network. Their width was 3-4 meters.
The third type of roads were private. They were financed and owned by individuals. As a rule, such roads were built from a rich estate and adjoined to the general network. They helped we althy aristocrats get to the capital faster from their own villas.
