The
Roman roads were essential for the growth of the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
. Roman
roadA road is an identifiable route, way or path between places.
s enabled the Romans to move
armiesFrom its origin as a city-state in Italy in the 8th century BC, to its rise as an empire covering much of Eurasia and North Africa and fall in the 5th century AD, the political history of Ancient Rome was typically closely entwined with its military history...
and
tradeRoman trade was the engine that drove the economy of the late Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire. Fashions and trends in historiography and in popular culture have tended to neglect the economic basis of the empire in favor of the lingua franca of Latin and the exploits of the Roman legions...
goods and to communicate news. The Roman road system spanned more than 250,000 miles (400,000 km) of roads, including more than 50,000 miles (80,500 km) of paved roads. When Rome reached the height of her supremacy, no fewer than 29 great military highways radiated from the city. Hills were cut through and deep ravines filled in. At one point, the Roman Empire was divided into 113 provinces traversed by 372 great road links. In Gaul alone, no less than 13,000 miles (21,000 km) of road are said to have been improved, and in Britain at least 2,500 miles (4,000 km).
The
RomansThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
became adept at constructing
roadA road is an identifiable route, way or path between places.
s, which they called
viae. They were intended for carrying material from one location to another. It was permitted to walk or pass and drive cattle, vehicles, or traffic of any description along the path. The
viae differed from the many other smaller or rougher roads, bridle-paths, drifts, and tracks. By the laws of the
Twelve TablesThe Law of the Twelve Tables was the ancient legislation that stood at the foundation of Roman law. The Law of the Twelve Tables formed the centerpiece of the constitution of the Roman Republic and the core of the mos maiorum...
, the minimum width of a
via was fixed at 8 feet (2.4m) where it was straight, and 16 feet (4.9 m) where it turned.
The Roman road networks were important both in maintaining the stability of the empire and for its expansion. The
legionsThe Roman legion is a term that can apply both as a translation of legio to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly , to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the...
made good time on them, and some are still used
millenniaA millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years...
later. In later antiquity, these roads played an important part in Roman military reverses by offering avenues of invasion to the 'barbarians'.
Terminology
The
Romans'The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
roadA road is an identifiable route, way or path between places.
s were called
viae (plural of the singular term
via) in Latin. The word is related to the English
way (Old English
weg) and
weigh, (OE wegan, "to lift up, carry, bear, move, convey"; cf. "weigh anchor", where the sense is simply "lift up"). These words are all derived from the
Indo-EuropeanIndo-European may refer to:* Indo-European languages** Aryan, a 19th century term for Indo-European speakers.* Proto-Indo-European language, the reconstructed common ancestor of all Indo-European languages....
root, *
wegh-, which means "to move or convey".
Vehicle, from Latin
vehere, "to carry, bring, drive", has the same root, as do the English words
wain and
wa(g)gon (the latter word coming from Germanic via French).
Roman systems
LivyTitus Livius , known as Livy in English, was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
mentions some of the most familiar roads near Rome, and the milestones on them, at times long before the first paved road - the
Appian WayThe Appian Way was one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, Apulia, in southeast Italy...
. Unless these allusions be simple anachronisms, the roads referred to were probably at the time little more than leveled earthen tracks. Thus, the Via Gabina (during the time of Porsena) is mentioned in about 500 BC; the
Via LatinaThe Via Latina was a Roman road of Italy, running southeast from Rome for about 200 kilometers.It led from the Porta Latina in the Aurelian walls of Rome to the pass of Mons Algidus, so important in the early military history of Rome...
(during the time of
Coriolanus]Gaius Marcius Coriolanus was a possibly legendary Roman general who lived in the 5th century BC. He received his toponymic title "Coriolanus" because of his exceptional valor in a Roman siege of the Volscian city of Corioli. He was then promoted to a general...
) in about 490 BC; the
Via NomentanaVia Nomentana is an ancient road of Italy, leading North-East from Rome to Nomentum , a distance of 23 km . It originally bore the name Via Ficulnensis, from the old Latin village of Ficulnea, about 13 km from Rome...
, or Via Ficulensis, in 449 BC; the
Via LabicanaThe Via Labicana was an ancient road of Italy, leading east southeast from Rome. It seems possible that the road at first led to Tusculum, that it was then extended to Labici, and later still became a road for through traffic; it may even have superseded the Via Latina as a route to the southeast,...
in 421 BC; and the
Via SalariaThe Via Salaria was an ancient Roman road in Italy.It eventually ran from Rome to Castrum Truentinum on the Adriatic coast - a distance of 242 km. The road also passed through Reate and Asculum...
in 361 BC.
In the Itinerary of Antoninus, the description of the road system, after the death of
Julius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar , , was a Roman military and political leader. He played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
and during
AugustusGaius Julius Caesar Augustus was the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14.
[These are the contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian after 45 BC...]
tenure, is as follows:
"With the exception of some outlying portions, such as Britain north of the Wall, Dacia, and certain provinces east of the Euphrates, the whole Empire was penetrated by these itinera (plural of iter). There is hardly a district to which we might expect a Roman official to be sent, on service either civil or military, where we do not find [roads]. They reach the Wall in BritainHadrian's Wall is a stone or turf and timber fortification built by the Roman Empire across the width of what is now northern England. Begun in 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall in what is...
; run along the RhineThe Rhine is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe, at , with an average discharge of more than ....
, the DanubeThe Danube is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga.The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg rivers which join at the German town Donaueschingen, after which it is known as the Danube and flows...
, and the EuphratesThe Euphrates is the longest and historically one of the most important rivers of Southwest Asia. Together with the Tigris, the Euphrates is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
; and cover, as with a network, the interior provinces of the Empire."
A road map of the empire reveals that it was generally laced with a dense network of prepared
viae. Beyond the borders were no roads; however, one might presume that footpaths and dirt roads allowed some transport.
- For specific roads, see Roman road locations below.
Laws and traditions
The laws of the Twelve Tables, dated to approximately 450 BC, specified that a road shall be 8 ft (2.45 m) wide where straight and 16 ft (4.90 m) where curved. Actual practices varied from this standard. The Tables command Romans to build roads and give wayfarers the right to pass over private land where the road is in disrepair. Building roads that would not need frequent repair therefore became an ideological objective.
Roman law defined the right to use a road as a
servitus, or claim. The
ius eundi ("right of going") established a claim to use an
iter, or footpath, across private land; the
ius agendi ("right of driving"), an
actus, or carriage track. A
via combined both types of
servitutes, provided it was of the proper width, which was determined by an
arbiter. The default width was the
latitudo legitima of 8 ft (2.4 m). In these rather dry laws we can see the prevalence of the public domain over the private, which characterized the republic.
Roman law and tradition forbade the use of vehicles in urban areas, except in certain cases. Married women and government officials on business could ride. The Lex Iulia Municipalis restricted commercial carts to night-time access to the city within the walls and within a mile outside the walls.
Types of roads
Roman roads varied from simple
corduroy roadA corduroy road or log road is a type of road made by placing sand-covered logs perpendicular to the direction of the road over a low or swampy area. The result is an improvement over impassable mud or dirt roads, yet is a bumpy ride in the best of conditions and a hazard to horses due to loose...
s to paved roads using deep roadbeds of tamped rubble as an underlying layer to ensure that they kept dry, as the water would flow out from between the stones and fragments of rubble, instead of becoming mud in clay soils. According to
UlpianDomitius Ulpianus , anglicized as Ulpian, was a Roman jurist of Tyrian ancestry. The time and place of his birth are unknown, but the period of his literary activity was between AD 211 and 222...
, there were three types of roads:
- Viae publicae, consulares, praetoriae or militares
- Viae privatae, rusticae, glareae or agrariae
- Viae vicinales
Viae publicae, consulares, praetoriae and militares
The first type of road included public high or main roads, constructed and maintained at the public expense, and with their soil vested in the state. Such roads led either to the sea, or to a town, or to a public river (one with a constant flow), or to another public road.
Siculus FlaccusSiculus Flaccus was an ancient Roman gromaticus , and writer in Latin on land surveying. His work was included in a collection of gromatic treatises in the 6th century AD....
, who lived under Trajan (A.D. 98-117), calls them
viae publicae regalesque, and describes their characteristics as follows:
- They are placed under curatores (commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission, in the sense of a mandate, whether individually or shared, notably as member of a collegial commission....
s), and repaired by redemptores (contractorA general contractor is a group or individual that contracts with another organization or individual for the construction, renovation or demolition of a building, road or other structure...
s) at the public expense; a fixed contribution, however, being levied from the neighboring landownerLandholder or landowner is a holder of the estate in land with considerable rights of ownership or, simply put, an owner of land.In the old Europe a landholder was usually a nobleman, see landed nobility....
s.
- These roads bear the names of their constructors (e.g. Via Appia, Cassia
The Via Cassia was an important Roman road striking out of the Via Flaminia near the Milvian Bridge in the immediate vicinity of Rome and, passing not far from Veii traversed Etruria...
, FlaminiaThe Via Flaminia was a Roman road leading from Rome to Ariminum , and was the most important route to the north.-History:It was constructed by Gaius Flaminius during his censorship . Sources mention frequent improvements being made to it during the imperial period...
).
Roman roads were named after the
censorThe position of the censor was responsible for maintaining the census, supervising public morality, and overseeing certain aspects of the government's finances....
who had ordered their construction or reconstruction. The same person often served afterwards as consul, but the road name is dated to his term as censor. If the road was older than the office of censor or was of unknown origin, it took the name of its destination or of the region through which it mainly passed. A road was renamed if the censor ordered major work on it, such as paving, repaving, or rerouting. With the term
viae regales compare the
roads of the Persian kingsThe Persian Royal Road was an ancient highway reorganized and rebuilt by the Persian king Darius I of the Achaemenid Empire in the 5th century BC. Darius built the road to facilitate rapid communication throughout his very large empire from Susa to Sardis...
(who probably organized the first system of public roads) and the
King's highwayKing's Highway or Kings Highway may refer to:* King's Highway an ancient trade route from Egypt to Syria* Kings Highway , in New York City, United States* Kings Highway , a New York City Subway stop in Brooklyn...
. With the term
viae militariae compare the
Icknield WayThe Icknield Way is an ancient trackway in southern England. It follows the chalk escarpment that includes the Berkshire Downs and Chiltern Hills.-Background:...
(eg., Icen-hilde-weg, or "War-way of the Iceni").
But there were many other persons, besides special officials, who from time to time, and for a variety of reasons, sought to connect their names with a great public service like that of the roads.
Gaius GracchusGaius Sempronius Gracchus was a Roman politician in the second century BC and brother of the ill-fated reformer Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus...
, when Tribune of the People (123-122 BC), paved or gravelled many of the public roads, and provided them with milestones and mounting-blocks for riders. Again, С. Scribonius Curio, when Tribune (50 BC), sought popularity by introducing a Lex Viaria, under which he was to be chief inspector or commissioner for five years.
Dio CassiusLucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus , known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was a Roman consul and a noted historian writing in Greek...
mentions as one of the forcible acts of the triumvirs of 43 BC (Octavianus,
AntonyMarcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and General. He was an important supporter and the loyal friend of Gaius Julius Caesar as a military commander and administrator, being Caesar's second cousin, once removed, by his mother Julia Antonia...
, and
LepidusMarcus Aemilius Lepidus , was a Roman patrician who rose to become a member of the Second Triumvirate and Pontifex Maximus. His father, Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, had been involved in a rebellion against the Roman Republic which led to his death.Lepidus was among Julius Caesar's greatest...
), that they obliged the senators to repair the public roads at their own expense.
Viae privatae, rusticae, glareae and agrariae
The second category included private or country roads, originally constructed by private individuals, in whom their soil was vested, and who had the power to dedicate them to the public use. Such roads benefited from a right of way, in favor either of the public or of the owner of a particular estate. Under the heading of
viae privatae were also included roads leading from the public or high roads to particular estates or settlements. These Ulpian considers to be public roads themselves.
Features off the
via were connected to the
via by
viae rusticae, or secondary roads. Both main or secondary roads might either be paved, or left unpaved, with a gravel surface, as they were in North Africa. These prepared but unpaved roads were
viae glareae or
sternendae ("to be strewn"). Beyond the secondary roads were the
viae terrenae, "dirt roads".
Viae vicinales
The third category comprised roads at or in
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
s,
districtDistricts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
s, or crossroads, leading through or towards a
vicusVicus can refer to:* Vicus , a culture in Peru from about 1000BC to 300AD* Vicus , a settlement or part of town in Ancient Rome...
or village. Such roads ran either into a high road, or into other
viae vicinales, without any direct communication with a high road. They were considered public or private, according to the fact of their original construction out of public or private funds or materials. Such a road, though privately constructed, became a public road when the memory of its private constructors had perished.
Siculus Flaccus describes
viae vicinales as roads "de publicis quae divertunt in agros et saepe ad alteras publicas perveniunt" (which turn off the public roads into fields, and often reach to other public roads). The repairing authorities, in this case, were the
magistri pagorum or
magistrateA magistrate is a judicial officer; in ancient Rome, the word magistratus denoted one of the highest government officers with judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a magistrate has limited law enforcement and administration authority...
s of the cantons. They could require the neighboring landowners either to furnish laborers for the general repair of the
viae vicinales, or to keep in repair, at their own expense, a certain length of road passing through their respective properties.
Governance and financing
With the conquest of Italy, prepared
viae were extended from Rome and its vicinity to outlying municipalities, sometimes overlying earlier roads. Building
viae was a military responsibility and thus came under the jurisdiction of a consul. The process had a military name,
viam munire, as though the
via were a fortification. Municipalities, however, were responsible for their own roads, which the Romans called
viae vicinales. The beauty and grandeur of the roads might tempt us to believe that any Roman citizen could use them for free, but this was not the case. Tolls abounded, especially at bridges. Often they were collected at the city gate. Freight costs were made heavier still by import and export taxes. These were only the charges for using the roads. Costs of services on the journey went up from there.
Financing road building was a Roman government responsibility. Maintenance, however, was generally left to the province. The officials tasked with fund-raising were the
curatores viarum, similar to a
supervisorA supervisor, foreperson, team leader, overseer, cell coach, facilitator, or area coordinator is a manager in business. The US Bureau of Census has four hundred titles under the supervisor classification....
who manages and administers. They had a number of methods available to them. Private citizens with an interest in the road could be asked to contribute to its repair. High officials might distribute
largesseEuergetism is a term coined by French historian A Boulanger, it derives directly from Greek εύεργετέω meaning « I do good things ». It is the practice of notables to distribute a part of their wealth to the community of the hoi polloi, rather than to individuals .- Hellenistic Generosity :This...
to be used for roads. Censors, who were in charge of public morals and public works, were expected to fund repairs
suâ pecuniâ (with their own money). Beyond those means, taxes were required.
A
via connected two cities.
Viae were generally centrally placed in the countryside. The construction and care of the public roads, whether in Rome, in Italy, or in the provinces, was, at all periods of Roman history, considered to be a function of the greatest weight and importance. This is clearly shown by the fact that the censors, in some respects the most venerable of Roman magistrates, had the earliest paramount authority to construct and repair all roads and streets. Indeed, all the various functionaries, not excluding the emperors themselves, who succeeded the censors in this portion of their duties, may be said to have exercised a devolved censorial jurisdiction.
Costs and civic responsibilities
The devolution to the censorial jurisdictions soon became a practical necessity, resulting from the growth of the Roman dominions and the diverse labors which detained the censors in the capital city. Certain
ad hoc official bodies successively acted as constructing and repairing authorities. In Italy, the censorial responsibility passed to the commanders of the Roman armies, and later to special commissioners – and in some cases perhaps to the local magistrates. In the provinces, the consul or praetor and his legates received authority to deal directly with the contractor.
The care of the streets and roads within the Roman territory was committed in the earliest times to the censors. They eventually made contracts for paving the street inside Rome, including the Clivus Capitolinus, with lava, and for laying down the roads outside the city with gravel.
SidewalkA sidewalk , pavement , footpath , platform or footway is a path for pedestrians that is situated alongside a road or a paved...
s were also provided. The
aedileAedile was an office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enforce public order. Half of the aediles were from the ranks of plebeians and half were patricians...
s, probably by virtue of their responsibility for the freedom of traffic and policing the streets, co-operated with the censors and the bodies that succeeded them.
It would seem that in the reign of
ClaudiusTiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was the fourth Roman Emperor, a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from 24 January AD 41 to his death in AD 54...
(41-54 AD) the
quaestorQuaestor is a type of public official.In the Roman Republic a quaestor was an elected official who supervised financial affairs...
s had become responsible for the paving of the streets of Rome, or at least shared that responsibility with the quatuorviri viarum. It has been suggested that the quaestors were obliged to buy their right to an official career by personal outlay on the streets. There was certainly no lack of precedents for this enforced liberality, and the change made by Claudius may have been a mere change in the nature of the expenditure imposed on the quaestors.
Official bodies
The official bodies which first succeeded the censors in the care of the streets and roads were two in number. They were:
- Quatuorviri viis in urbe purgandis, with jurisdiction inside the walls of Rome;
- Duoviri viis extra urbem purgandis, with jurisdiction outside the walls.
Both these bodies were probably of ancient origin, but the true year of their institution is unknown. Little reliance can be placed on
PomponiusPomponius was the male nomen of the gens Pomponia, a notable plebeian family of the Roman Republic .Toward the end of republic, in their best documented period, the Pomponii claimed descent from Pompo, one of the alleged sons of Numa Pompilius.-Notable male Pomponians:Some male members of the gens...
, who states that the quatuorviri were instituted
eodem tempore (at the same time) as the praetor peregrinus (i.e. about 242 BC) and the
Decemviri litibus iudicandisDecemviri is a Latin term meaning "Ten Men" which designates any such commission in the Roman Republic...
(time unknown). The first mention of either body occurs in the Lex Julia Municipalis of 45 BC. The quatuorviri were afterwards called Quatuorviri viarum curandarum. The extent of jurisdiction of the
DuoviriIn ancient Rome, duumviri was the official style of two joint magistrates...
is derived from their full title as
Duoviri viis extra propiusve urbem Romam passus mille purgandisIn ancient Rome, duumviri was the official style of two joint magistrates...
. Their authority extended over all roads between their respective gates of issue in the city wall and the first milestone beyond.
In case of an emergency in the condition of a particular road, men of influence and liberality were appointed, or voluntarily acted, as
curatores or temporary commissioners to superintend the work of repair. The dignity attached to such a curatorship is attested by a passage of
CiceroMarcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. Cicero is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.Cicero is generally perceived to be one of the most versatile minds of ancient Rome...
. Among those who performed this duty in connection with particular roads was
Julius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar , , was a Roman military and political leader. He played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
, who became
curator (67 BC) of the Via Appia, and spent his own money liberally upon it. Certain persons appear also to have acted alone and taken responsibility for certain roads.
In the country districts, as has been stated, the magistri pagorum had authority to maintain the
viae vicinales. In Rome itself each householder was legally responsible for the repairs to that portion of the street which passed his own house. It was the duty of the aediles to enforce this responsibility. The portion of any street which passed a temple or public building was repaired by the aediles at the public expense. When a street passed between a public building or temple and a private house, the public treasury and the private owner shared the expense equally. No doubt, if only to secure uniformity, the personal liability of householders to execute repairs of the streets was commuted for a paving rate payable to the public authorities who were responsible from time to time.
Augustus' changes
The governing structure was changed by
AugustusGaius Julius Caesar Augustus was the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14.
[These are the contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian after 45 BC...]
. In the course of his reconstitution of the urban administration he created new offices in connection with the public works, streets, and aqueducts of Rome. He found the quatuorviri and duoviri forming part of the body of magistrates known as
vigintisexviriThe Vigintisexviri was a college of minor magistrates in the Roman Republic; the name literally means "Twenty-Six Men"...
. These he reduced to twenty members (vigintiviri), but retained the quatuorviri among them. The latter were certainly still in existence under
HadrianPublius Aelius Hadrianus was emperor of Rome from AD 117 to 138, as well as a Stoic and Epicurean philosopher...
(117-138 AD). Augustus abolished the duoviri, no doubt because the time had come to deal comprehensively with the superintendence of the roads which connected Rome with Italy and the provinces. Dio Cassius relates that Augustus personally accepted the post of superintendent. In this capacity he represented the paramount authority which belonged originally to the censors. Moreover, he appointed men of praetorian rank to be road-makers, assigning to each of them two
lictorThe lictor, derived from the Latin ligare , was a member of a special class of Roman civil servant, with special tasks of attending and guarding magistrates of the Roman Republic and Empire who held imperium; essentially, a bodyguard...
s. Lastly, he made the office of curator of each of the great public roads a perpetual magistracy, instead of a special and temporary commission, as had been the case hitherto.
In Augustus' capacity as supreme head of the public road system, he converted the temporary
curaIn Roman mythology, Cura was the goddess who created humans from clay....
of each of the great roads into a permanent magistracy. The persons appointed under the new system were of
senatorThe Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic. According to the Greek historian Polybius, our principal source on the Constitution of the Roman Republic, the Roman Senate was the predominant branch of government...
ial or equestrian rank, according to the relative importance of the roads respectively assigned to them. It was the duty of each curator to issue contracts for the maintenance and repairs of his road, and to see that the contractor who undertook the work performed it faithfully, both as to quantity and quality. Moreover, he authorized the construction of
sewerSewer may refer to:*A system for transporting sewage:**Sanitary sewer, a system of pipes used to transport human waste**Storm drain, a collection and transportation system for storm water...
s and removed obstructions to traffic, as the
aedileAedile was an office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enforce public order. Half of the aediles were from the ranks of plebeians and half were patricians...
s did in Rome. It was in the character of an imperial curator, though probably of one armed with extraordinary powers, that
Corbulo (as has been already mentioned) denounced the magistratus and mancipes of the Italian roads to
TiberiusTiberius Julius Caesar Augustus, born Tiberius Claudius Nero , was the second Roman Emperor, from the death of Augustus in AD 14 until his own death in 37. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla...
. He pursued them and their families with fines and imprisonment for 18 years (21-39 AD.), and was rewarded with a consulship by
CaligulaGaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus , more commonly known by his cognomen Caligula , was the third Roman Emperor, reigning from 16 March 37 until his assassination on 24 January 41...
, who was himself in the habit of condemning well-born citizens to work on the roads. It is noticeable that
ClaudiusTiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was the fourth Roman Emperor, a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from 24 January AD 41 to his death in AD 54...
brought Corbulo to justice, and repaid the money which had been extorted from his victims.
Other curatores
Special curatores for a term seem to have been appointed on occasion, even after the institution of the permanent magistrates bearing that title. The Emperors who succeeded Augustus exercised a vigilant control over the condition of the public highways. Their names occur frequently in the inscriptions to restorers of roads and bridges. Thus,
VespasianTitus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian , was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 69 AD until his death in 79 AD...
,
TitusTitus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Titus , was a Roman Emperor who briefly reigned from 79 until his death in 81...
,
DomitianTitus Flavius Domitianus , known as Domitian, was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 14 September 81 until his death...
,
TrajanMarcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, commonly known as Trajan , was a Roman Emperor who reigned from A. D. 98 until his death in A. D. 117...
, and
Septimius SeverusLucius Septimius Severus was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 14 April, 193 until his death in 211. Severus was the first emperor of the troubled Severan dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of the Roman principate before the Crisis of the Third Century...
were commemorated in this capacity at Emérita. The Itinerary of Antoninus, which was probably a work of much earlier date, republished in an improved and enlarged form, under one of the Antonine emperors, remains as standing evidence of the minute care which was bestowed on the service of the public roads.
Construction and engineering
Ancient RomeAncient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
boasted impressive technological feats, using many advances that would be lost in the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
. These feats would not be rivaled again until the 19th and 20th centuries. Many practical Roman innovations were adopted from earlier designs.
Practices and terminology
Roman road builders aimed at a regulation width (see Laws and standards above), but actual widths have been measured at between 3.6 ft (1.1 m) and more than 23 ft (7 m). Today, the concrete has worn from the spaces around the stones, giving the impression of a very bumpy road, but the original practice was to produce a surface that was no doubt much closer to being flat. Many roads were built to resist rain, freezing and flooding. They were constructed to need as little repair as possible.
Roman construction took a directional straightness. Many long sections are ruler-straight, but it should not be thought that all of them were. Some links in the network were as long as 55 miles (90 km). Gradients of 10%-12% are known in ordinary terrain, 15%-20% in mountainous country. The Roman emphasis on constructing straight roads often resulted in steep slopes relatively impractical for most commercial traffic; over the years the Romans themselves realized this and built longer, but more manageable, alternatives to existing roads. Roman roads generally went straight up and down hills, rather than in a serpentine pattern.
As to the standard Imperial terminology that was used, the words were localized for different elements used in construction and varied from region to region. Also, in the course of time, the terms
via munita and
vía publica became identical.
Materials and methods
Viae were distinguished not only according to their public or private character, but according to the materials employed and the methods followed in their construction. Ulpian divided them up in the following fashion:
- Via terrena: A plain road of leveled earth.
- Via glareata: An earthed road with a graveled surface.
- Via munita: A regular built road, paved with rectangular blocks of the stone of the country, or with polygonal blocks of lava.
The Romans, though certainly inheriting some of the art of road construction from the Etruscans, borrowed the knowledge of construction of
viae munitae from the Carthaginians according to Isidore of Sevilla.
Via terrena
The
Via terrena were plain roads of leveled earth. These were mere tracks worn by the feet of men and beasts, and possibly by wheeled carriages.
Via glareata
The
Via glareata were earthed road with a graveled surface or a gravel subsurface and paving on top. Livy, who speaks of the censors of his time as being the first to contract for paving the streets of Rome with flint stones, for laying gravel on the roads outside the city, and for forming raised footpaths at the sides. In these roads, the surface was hardened with gravel; and although pavements were introduced shortly afterwards, the blocks were allowed to rest merely on a bed of small stones. An a example of this type is found on the Praenestine Way. Another example is found near the
Via LatinaThe Via Latina was a Roman road of Italy, running southeast from Rome for about 200 kilometers.It led from the Porta Latina in the Aurelian walls of Rome to the pass of Mons Algidus, so important in the early military history of Rome...
.
Via munita
The best sources of information as regards the construction of a regulation
via munita are:
- The many existing remains of víae publicae. These are often sufficiently well preserved to show that the rules of construction were, as far as local material allowed, minutely adhered to in practice.
- The directions for making pavements given by Vitruvius
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio was a Roman writer, architect and engineer , active in the 1st century BC. By his own description Vitruvius served as a Ballista , the third class of arms in the military offices...
. The pavement and the via munita were identical in construction, except as regards the top layer, or surface. This consisted, in the former case, of marble or mosaic, and, in the latter, of blocks of stone or lava.
- A passage in Statius
Publius Papinius Statius was a Roman poet of the Silver Age of Latin literature, born in Naples, Italy. Besides his poetry, he is best known for his appearance as a major character in the Purgatory section of Dante's epic poem The Divine Comedy.-Life:He was born to a family of Graeco-Campanian...
describing the repairs of the Via DomitiaThe Via Domitia was the first Roman road built in Gaul, to link Italy and Hispania through Gallia Narbonensis, across what is now southern France. The route that the Romans regularised and paved was ancient when they set out to survey it, so old that it traces the mythic route travelled by Heracles...
, a branch road of the Via Appia, leading to Neapolis.
After the
civil engineerA civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering, one of the many professions of engineering. Originally a civil engineer worked on public works projects and was contrasted with the military engineer, who worked on armaments and defenses...
looked over the site of the proposed road and determined roughly where it should go, the agrimensores went to work surveying the road bed. They used two main devices, the rod and a device called a
gromaThe Groma or gruma was the principal Roman surveying instrument. It comprised a vertical staff with horizontal cross pieces mounted at right-angles on a bracket. Each cross piece had a plumb line hanging vertically at each end...
, which helped them obtain right angles. The
gromaticiGromatici , or agrimensores, was the name for land-surveyors amongst the ancient Romans...
, the Roman equivalent of rod men, placed rods and put down a line called the
rigor. As they did not possess anything like a
transitA theodolite is an instrument for measuring both horizontal and vertical angles, as used in triangulation networks. It is a key tool in surveying and engineering work, particularly on inaccessible ground, but theodolites have been adapted for other specialized purposes in fields like meteorology...
, a civil engineering surveyor tried to achieve straightness by looking along the rods and commanding the
gromatici to move them as required. Using the
gromae they then laid out a grid on the plan of the road.
The
libratores then began their work using
ploughThe plough is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major advances in agriculture...
s and, sometimes with the help of legionaries, with
spadeA spade is a tool designed primarily for the purpose of digging or removing earth. The first spade was made of riven wood. After the art of metalworking was discovered, spades were made with sharper tips of metal. Before the advent of metal spades manual labor was less efficient at moving earth,...
s excavated the road bed down to bed rock or at least to the firmest ground they could find. The excavation was called the
fossa, "ditch". The depth varied according to terrain.
The method varied according to geographic locality, materials available and terrain, but the plan, or ideal at which the architect aimed was always the same. The roadbed was layered. The road was constructed by filling the ditch. This was done by layering rock over other stones.
Into the
fossa was dumped large amounts of rubble, gravel and stone, whatever fill was available. Sometimes a layer of sand was put down, if it could be found. When it came to within 1 yd (1 m) or so of the surface it was covered with gravel and tamped down, a process called
pavire, or
pavimentare. The flat surface was then the
pavimentum. It could be used as the road, or additional layers could be constructed. A
statumen or "foundation" of flat stones set in cement might support the additional layers.
The final steps utilized
concreteConcrete is a construction material composed of cement as well as other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water, and chemical admixtures...
, which the Romans had exclusively rediscovered. They seem to have mixed the mortar and the stones in the fossa. First a small layer of coarse concrete, the
rudus, then a little layer of fine concrete, the nucleus, went onto the pavement or
statumen. Into or onto the nucleus went a course of polygonal or square paving stones, called the
summa crusta. The
crusta was crowned for drainage.
An example is found in a early basalt road by the
Temple of SaturnThe Temple of Saturn is a monument to the agricultural deity Saturn that stands at the western end of the Forum Romanum in Rome...
on the Clivus Capitolinus. It had travertine paving, polygonal basalt blocks, concrete bedding (substituted for the gravel), and a rain-water gutter.
Obstacle crossings
Romans preferred to engineer solutions to obstacles rather than circumvent them. Outcroppings of stone, ravines, or hilly or mountainous terrain called for cuttings and tunnels. An example of this is found on the Roman road from Cazanes near the Iron Gates. This road was half carved into the rock, about 5 ft. to 5 ft. 9 in. (1.5 to 1.75 m), the rest of the road, above the
DanubeThe Danube is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga.The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg rivers which join at the German town Donaueschingen, after which it is known as the Danube and flows...
, was made from wooden structure, projecting out of the cliff. The road functioned as a towpath, making the Danube navigable.
Bridges and causeways
Roman bridgeRoman bridges, built by ancient Romans, were the first large and lasting bridges built.Roman bridges were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure, see arch bridge...
s, built by ancient Romans, were the first large and lasting bridges built. River crossings were achieved by bridges, or
pontes. Single slabs went over rills. A bridge could be of wood, stone, or both. Wooden bridges were constructed on pilings sunk into the river, or on stone piers. Larger or more permanent bridges required arches. These larger bridges were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure, see
arch bridgeAn arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
. Most also used concrete, which the Romans were the first to use for bridges. Roman bridges were so well constructed that many are in use today.
CausewayIn modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated on a sandbank, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :...
s were built over marshy ground. The road was first marked out with pilings. Between them were sunk large quantities of stone so as to raise the causeway to more than 5 ft. (1.5 m) above the marsh. In the provinces, the Romans often did not bother with a stone causeway, but used log roads (pontes longi).
Military and citizen utilization
The public road system of the Romans was thoroughly military in its aims and spirit. It was designed to unite and consolidate the conquests of the Roman people, whether within or without the limits of Italy proper. A
legionThe Roman legion is a term that can apply both as a translation of legio to the entire Roman army and also, more narrowly , to the heavy infantry that was the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army in the period of the late Roman Republic and the...
on the march brought its own baggage train (
impedimenta) and constructed its own camp (
castraThe Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. As the word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin, it probably descended from Indo-European to...
) every evening at the side of the road.
Milestones and markers
Before 250 BC, the via Appia, and after 124 BC, most
viae, were divided into numbered miles by
milestoneA milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at intervals of one mile or occasionally, parts of a mile. They are typically located at the side of the road or in a median...
s. The modern word mile derives in fact from the Latin
milia passuum, "one thousand paces", which amounted to 4,841 feet (1,480 m). A milestone, or
miliarium, was a circular column on a solid rectangular base, set for more than 2 feet (60 cm) into the ground, standing 5 feet (1.50 m) high, 20 inches (50 cm) in diameter, and weighing more than 2 tons. At the base was inscribed the number of the mile relative to the road it was on. In a panel at eye-height was the distance to the
Roman ForumThe Roman Forum , sometimes known by its original Latin name, is located between the Palatine hill and the Capitoline hill of the city of Rome. It is the central area around which the ancient Roman civilization developed...
and various other information about the officials who made or repaired the road and when. These miliaria are valuable historical documents now. Their inscriptions are collected in the volume XVII of the
Corpus Inscriptionum LatinarumThe Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum is a comprehensive collection of ancient Latin inscriptions. It forms an authoritative source for documenting the surviving epigraphy of classical antiquity. Public and personal inscriptions throw light on all aspects of Roman life and history...
.
| Examples of Roman Milestones |
|
The Romans had a preference for standardization whenever they could, so
AugustusGaius Julius Caesar Augustus was the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14.
[These are the contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian after 45 BC...]
, after becoming permanent commissioner of roads in 20 BC, set up the
miliarium aureum (
golden milestoneA milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at intervals of one mile or occasionally, parts of a mile. They are typically located at the side of the road or in a median...
) near the
temple of SaturnThe Temple of Saturn is a monument to the agricultural deity Saturn that stands at the western end of the Forum Romanum in Rome...
. All roads were considered to begin from this gilded bronze monument. On it were listed all the major cities in the empire and distances to them. Constantine called it the
umbilicus Romae (
navel of Rome), and built a similar — although more complex — monument in
ConstantinopleConstantinople was the imperial capital of the Roman Empire , the Byzantine/Eastern Roman Empire , the Latin Empire , and the Ottoman Empire...
, the
MilionThe Milion , was a mile-marker monument erected in the early 4th century AD in Constantinople. It was the starting-place for measurement of distances for all the roads leading to the cities of the Byzantine Empire and had the same function as the Milliarium Aureum of Rome...
.
Milestones permitted distances and locations to be known and recorded exactly. It was not long before historians began to refer to the milestone at which an event occurred.
Itinerary maps and charts
The construction of some visible presentment of this huge network of communications was a practical necessity. They may have existed as specialty items in some of the libraries, but they were hard to copy and were not in general use. On the Roman road system, however, the traveller needed some idea of where he was going, how to get there, and how long it would take. The
itinerariumAn itinerarium was an Ancient Roman road map. One surviving example is the Peutinger Table; another is the Antonine Itinerary....
filled this need.
In origin, an
itinerarium was simply a list of cities along a road. It was only a short step from lists to a master list. To sort out the lists, the Romans drew diagrams of parallel lines showing the branches of the roads. Parts of these were copied and sold on the streets. The very best featured symbols for cities, way stations, water courses, and so on. The maps did not represent landforms but they served the purpose of a simple schematic diagram for the user.
A review of the authorities indicate that, in the time of
AugustusGaius Julius Caesar Augustus was the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14.
[These are the contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian after 45 BC...]
, a
mapA map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
or
chartA chart is a visual representation of data, in which the data are represented by symbols such as bars in a bar chart or lines in a line chart...
, founded on the geographical statistics contained in the
Commentarii of Agrippa, and engraved on marble, was exhibited for public reference in the Portico of Polla which was erected in the
Campus MartiusThe Campus Martius , was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about in extent. In the Middle Ages it was the most populous area of Rome...
between 12 BC and AD 7. It was probably very similar in construction to the marble map of Rome divided into Regions, now known as the
Capitoline Plan. The marble map was, most probably, the original authority on which the Antonine and other Itineraries, and the ancient map or chart of the Roman dominions, known as the Peutinger Table, were founded.
Vehicles and transportation
Outside the cities, Romans were avid riders and rode on or drove quite a number of vehicle types, some of which are mentioned here.
CartA cart is a vehicle or device designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people...
s driven by oxen were used. Horse drawn carts could travel up to 25 to 30 miles (40 to 50 km) per day, pedestrians 12 to 15 miles {20 to 25 km). For purposes of description, Roman vehicles can be divided into the car, the coach and the cart. Cars were used to transport one or two individuals, coaches were used to transport parties, and carts to transport cargo.
Of the cars, the most popular was the
carrusCarrus is a graduate recruiter that finds people jobs in the food industry. Carrus is part of Focus Management, the food industry recruitment company set up by Stephen Jones and Michael Staniland in 1990 in Manchester....
("car"), a standard
chariotThe chariot is the earliest and simplest type of carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples. Chariots were built in Mesopotamia by the Mesopotamians as early as 3000 BC and in China during the 2nd millennium BC. The original chariot was a fast, light, open,...
form descending to the Romans from a greater antiquity. The top was open, the front closed. One survives in the Vatican. It carried a driver and a passenger. A carrus of two horses was a
bigaBiga may refer to:* Biga , a type of pre-fermentation used in Italian baking* Biga and Busca, two Catalan political factions during the 15th century* Biga, Çanakkale, a town and district of Çanakkale Province in Turkey...
; of three horses, a
trigaTRIGA is a class of small nuclear reactor designed and manufactured by General Atomics of the USA. TRIGA is an acronym of "Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics"...
; and of four horses a
quadrigaA quadriga is a car or chariot drawn by four horses abreast . It was raced in the Olympic Games and other games. It is represented in profile as the chariot of gods and heroes on Greek vases and in bas-relief. The quadriga was adopted in ancient Roman chariot racing...
. The tires were of iron. When not in use, its wheels were removed for easier storage.
A more luxurious version, the
carpentum, transported women and officials. It had an arched overhead covering of cloth and was drawn by mules. A lighter version, the
cisium, equivalent to a
gigA gig, also called chair or chaise, is a light, two-wheeled sprung cart pulled by one horse.-Description:Gigs travelling at night would normally carry two oil lamps with thick glass, known as gig-lamps. Gig carts are constructed with the driver's seat sitting higher than the level of the shafts. ...
, was open above and in front and had a seat. Drawn by one or two mules or horses, it was used for cab work, the cab drivers being called
cisiani. The builder was a
cisarius.
Of the coaches, the mainstay was the
raeda or
redaReda may refer to:* Reda, Poland, a town in Poland* Reda , a river in Poland* Reda , a train station in Reda, Poland* Reda , a train station in Reda, Poland*Gino Reda*Marco Reda*Ahmad Reda...
, which had 4 wheels. The high sides formed a sort of box in which seats were placed, with a notch on each side for entry. It carried several people with baggage up to the legal limit of 1000 Roman Libra (pounds), modern equivalent 327 kg. It was drawn by teams of oxen, horses or mules. A cloth top could be put on for weather, in which case it resembled a covered wagon.
The
raeda was probably the main vehicle for travel on the roads.
Raedae meritoriae were hired coaches. The
fiscalis raeda was a government coach. The driver and the builder were both referred to as a
raedarius.
Of the carts, the main one was the
plaustrum or
plostrum. This was simply a platform of boards attached to wheels and a cross-tree. The wheels, or
tympana, were solid and were several centimetres (inches) thick. The sides could be built up with boards or rails. A large wicker basket was sometimes placed on it. A two-wheel version existed along with the normal 4-wheel type called the
plaustrum maius.
The military used a standard wagon. Their transportation service was the
cursus clabularis, after the standard wagon, called a
carrus clabularius,
clabularis,
clavularis, or
clabulare. It transported the
impedimenta, or baggage of a military column.
Way stations and traveler inns
Non-military officials and people on official business had no legion at their service and the government maintained way stations, or
mansioIn the Roman Empire, a mansio was an official stopping place on a Roman road, or via, maintained by the central government for the use of officials and those on official business whilst travelling.-Background:Ox-powered carts could travel about 18 miles per day, pedestrians a...
nes ("staying places"), for their use. Passports were required for identification. Mansiones were located about 15 to 18 miles (25 to 30 km) apart from the next one. There the official traveller found a complete
villaA villa was originally an upper-class country house, though since its origins in Roman times the idea and function of a villa has evolved considerably. After the fall of the Republic, a villa became a small, fortified farming compound, gradually re-evolving through the Middle Ages into luxurious,...
dedicated to his use. Often a permanent military camp or a town grew up around the mansio. For non-official travelers in need of refreshment, a private system of 'inns' or
cauponae were placed near the
mansiones. They performed the same functions but were somewhat disreputable, as they were frequented by thieves and prostitutes. Graffiti decorate the walls of the few whose ruins have been found.
Genteel travelers needed something better than
cauponae. In the early days of the
viae, when little unofficial provision existed, houses placed near the road were required by law to offer hospitality on demand. Frequented houses no doubt became the first
tabernae, which were hostels, rather than the "taverns" we know today. As Rome grew, so did its
tabernae, becoming more luxurious and acquiring good or bad reputations as the case may be. One of the best hotels was the Tabernae Caediciae at
SinuessaSinuessa was a city of Latium, in the more extended sense of the name, situated on the Tyrrhenian Sea, about 10 km north of the mouth of the Volturno River . It was on the line of the Via Appia, and was the last place where that great highroad touched on the sea-coast...
on the Via Appia. It had a large storage room containing barrels of wine, cheese and ham. Many cities of today grew up around a
taberna complex, such as
RheinzabernRheinzabern is a small town in the south-east of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany near the Rhine river.Currently, Rheinzabern, that belongs to the "Landkreis Germersheim" has approx...
in the Rhineland, and
SaverneSaverne is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is situated on the Rhine-Marne canal at the foot of a pass over the Vosges Mountains, and 45 km N.W...
in
AlsaceAlsace is the fourth-smallest of the 26 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the sixth-most densely populated region in France , with 222 inhabitants per km²...
.
A third system of way stations serviced vehicles and animals: the
mutationes ("changing stations"). They were located every 12 to 18 miles (20 to 30 km). In these complexes, the driver could purchase the services of wheelwrights, cartwrights, and
equarii medici, or veterinarians. Using these stations in chariot relays, the emperor
TiberiusTiberius Julius Caesar Augustus, born Tiberius Claudius Nero , was the second Roman Emperor, from the death of Augustus in AD 14 until his own death in 37. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla...
hastened 500 miles (800 km) in 24 hours to join his brother,
Drusus GermanicusNero Claudius Drusus Germanicus , born Decimus Claudius Drusus also called Drusus, Drusus I, Nero Drusus, or Drusus the Elder was a Roman politician and military commander...
, who was dying of gangrene as a result of a fall from a horse.
Post offices and services
Two postal services were available under the empire, one public and one private. The
Cursus publicusThe cursus publicus was the state-run courier and transportation service of the Roman Empire, later inherited by the Byzantine Empire. It was created by Emperor Augustus to transport messages, officials, and tax revenues from one province to another...
, founded by
AugustusGaius Julius Caesar Augustus was the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in AD 14.
[These are the contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian after 45 BC...]
, carried the mail of officials by relay throughout the Roman road system. The vehicle for carrying mail was a
cisium with a box, but for special delivery, a horse and rider was faster. A relay of horses could carry a letter 500 miles (800 km) in 24 hours. The postman wore a characteristic leather hat, the
petanus. The postal service was a somewhat dangerous occupation, as postmen were a target for bandits and enemies of Rome. Private mail of the well-to-do was carried by
tabellarii, an organization of slaves available for a price.
Locations
There are many examples of roads that still follow the route of Roman roads.
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
areas
Major roads
- Via Aemilia
The Via Aemilia was a trunk Roman road in the north Italian plain, running from Ariminum , on the Adriatic coast, to Placentia on the river Padus . It was completed in 187 BC...
, from AriminumRimini is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, near the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
to PlacentiaPiacenza is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Piacenza...
- Via Appia, the Appian way (312 BC
-Seleucid Empire:* Ptolemy and Seleucus, the satrap of Babylonia, invade the satrapy of Syria. The resulting Battle of Gaza leads to a triumph for Ptolemy and Seleucus over Antigonus' son, Demetrius Poliorcetes , who is captured but immediately released. Seleucus ceases his service to Ptolemy and...
), from RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
to Apulia
- Via Aurelia
The Via Aurelia was a Roman road constructed around the year 241 BC. The project was undertaken by C. Aurelius Cotta, who at that time was censor. C...
(241 BC-Greece:* The Eurypontid King of Sparta, Agis IV, is called away from Sparta when Aratus of Sicyon, temporarily Sparta's ally, requests Agis' aid in his war against the Aetolians. Upon his return, Agis finds that his supporters are discontented with the rule of his uncle, Agesilaus, and are...
), from Rome to FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
- Via Cassia
The Via Cassia was an important Roman road striking out of the Via Flaminia near the Milvian Bridge in the immediate vicinity of Rome and, passing not far from Veii traversed Etruria...
, from Rome to TuscanyTuscany is a region in North-Central Italy. It has an area of and a population of about 3.6 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence.Tuscany is known for its landscapes and its artistic legacy...
- Via Flaminia
The Via Flaminia was a Roman road leading from Rome to Ariminum , and was the most important route to the north.-History:It was constructed by Gaius Flaminius during his censorship . Sources mention frequent improvements being made to it during the imperial period...
(220 BC-Greece:* Together with fellow Illyrian, Scerdilaidas, Demetrius of Pharos attacks Illyrian cities under Roman protection and leads a piratical squadron into Greek waters. Together with the Aetolians, they unsuccessfully attack Pylos, an Achaean town on the Messenian coast, in the Peloponnesus of...
), from Rome to Rimini (Ariminum)
- Via Salaria
The Via Salaria was an ancient Roman road in Italy.It eventually ran from Rome to Castrum Truentinum on the Adriatic coast - a distance of 242 km. The road also passed through Reate and Asculum...
, from Rome to the Adriatic SeaThe Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges. The Adriatic Sea is a part of the Mediterranean Sea...
(in the MarchesMark and march refer to a border region similar to a frontier, such as the Welsh Marches, the borderland between England and Wales.In contrast to a buffer zone, a march could be dominated by a single given country, and rather than being demilitarized, it could be strongly fortified for defence...
)
Others
- Via Aemilia Scaura (109 BC
-Rome:* A Roman army under Marcus Junius Silanus was defeated by the Cimbri and Teutones near the Rhone River....
)
- Via Aquillia, branches off the Appia at Capua
Capua is a city in the province of Caserta, Campania, southern Italy, situated 25 km north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. The city is often mistaken for Santa Maria Capua Vetere: the remains of the ancient Capua are effectively located in the latter commune's...
to the sea at ViboVIBO is a 3G mobile network operator in Taiwan. The unit of its major operations is believed to be located in the capital city of Taiwan - Taipei. VIBO is known to be a subsidiary of the KINPO group. VIBO's network is on a UMTS based platform. According to the GSM world association, VIBO's...
- Via Amerina, from Rome to Ameria and Perusia
The ancient Perusia, now Perugia, first appears in history as one of the 12 confederate cities of Etruria. It is first mentioned in the account of the war of 310 or 309 BC between the Etruscans and the Romans...
- Via Canalis, from Udine, Gemona and Val Canale to Villach in Carinthia and then over Alps to Salzburg or Vienna
- Via Claudia Julia Augusta (13 BC
Year 13 BC was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.-Rome:* The via Claudia Julia Augusta is built through Italy....
)
- Via Clodia
Via Clodia was an ancient high-road of Italy. Its course, for the first 11 miles, was the same as that of the Via Cassia; it then diverged to the north in a northwest direction and ran on the west side of the Lacus Sabatinus, past Forum Clodii and Blera...
, from Rome to TuscanyTuscany is a region in North-Central Italy. It has an area of and a population of about 3.6 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence.Tuscany is known for its landscapes and its artistic legacy...
forming a system with the Cassia
- Via Domitiana
Via Domitiana in the Campania region of Italy was a major Roman road built under and named for the emperor, Domitian, to facilitate access to and from the important ports of Puteoli and Portus Julius in the Gulf of Naples...
, coast road from Naples to Formia
- Via Flavia, from Trieste/Trst (Tergeste)
Trieste is a city and seaport in north eastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south, east and north of the city...
to IstriaCroatian Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
by crossing the RižanaRižana is a settlement in the Koper Municipality in the Littoral region of Slovenia.-External links:*...
, the Dragonja/Dragogna (Timavo)Dragonja is a river in Croatia and Slovenia. The river is 22 km in length. In its part close to the Adriatic Sea is the border between Slovenia and Croatia-See also :*List of rivers of Croatia*List of rivers of Slovenia...
and, at Ponte Porton, the biggest Istrian river the Mirna/Quieto (Ningus)Mirna may refer to:people* Mirna * Mirna Jukić, a bronze medal winner in swimming* Mirna Khayat, a Lebanese music video director* Mirna Macur, a Slovenian social researcherplaces* Mirna , a river in Istria, Croatia...
, it reached the Limski Kanal/Canale Leme (Limes)The Lim bay and valley is a peculiar geographic feature found near Rovinj and Vrsar on the western coast of Istria, Croatia, south of Poreč. The name comes from the Latin limes for "limit", referring to the landform's position at the border of two Roman provinces .The Lim valley is the 35 km long...
, Dvigrad Due CastelliDvigrad is an abandoned medieval town in central Istria, Croatia. Dvigrad is situated in Draga - a deep valley that stretches from Pazin to the sea, ending in the Lim sea channel, that marked the border between the Pula and Poreč territories....
, Bale (Valle)-Places:* Bale , a small town in Croatia* Bale Province, Ethiopia, a former province in Ethiopia* Bale Zone in Oromia, Ethiopia* Bale, Norfolk in England* Bale, Poland* Balé Province, Burkina Faso* Basel, the Swiss city, for which the French name is Bâle...
, Vodnjan (Dignano)-Geography:Vodnjan is situated 10 km north of Pula, on elevation of 135 m. It is located at the intersection of the main road Buje - Pula and the regional road Vodnjan - Fažana, as well as on the railroad Divača - Pula.-Demographics:...
and Pula/Pola (Pola)Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 ....
, then turning towards Visače (Nesactium), reaching the Raša/Arsa (Arsia) RiverRaša is a town known as the "youngest city in Croatia" and the administrative centre of the same-named municipality in the inner part of the Raška Inlet in the south-eastern part of Istria, Croatia...
, crossing it, and continuing as a local road through Labin (Albona)Labin is a town in Istria, Croatia, population 7,904 with 12,426 in the municipality .-External links:* *...
and Plomin (Fianona)Plomin is a village in the Croatian part of Istria, situated approximately 11 km north of Labin, on an 80 meters high hill. It is a popular destination for tourists traveling through Istria by road....
as far as Kastav/Castua (Castra)Kastav is a small historical Croatian town, located about 10 km northwest of Rijeka and about 5 km northeast of Opatija in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in Croatia....
, where it joined at an angle with the Via Gemina
- Via Gemina, from Aquileia and Trieste through the Karst
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after a Yugoslavian geologist Karst. It will consist of about 30 individual...
to MaterijaMaterija is a small settlement in the Hrpelje-Kozina Municipality in the Littoral region of Slovenia.-External links:*...
, ObrovObrov is a village in the Hrpelje-Kozina Municipality in the Littoral region of Slovenia. The local church is dedicated to The Annunciation and belongs to the Hrušica Parish.-External links:*...
, LipaLIPA may stand for:*Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, an Institute of higher education in the English city of Liverpool that offers training in acting, dance, music, sound technology, arts management, technical theatre, and theatre design....
and KlanaKlana is a municipality in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county in western Croatia. There are 1,931 inhabitants, with 94% Croats....
, from where, near RijekaRijeka is the city and the principal seaport of Croatia, located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea. It has 144,043 inhabitants . The majority of its citizens, 80.39% , are Croats...
, descending towards Trsat (Tersatica)Trsat is part of the city of Rijeka, Croatia. It has a historic castle or fortress in a strategic location and several historic churches. The Croatian noble Vuk Krsto Frankopan is buried in one of the churches....
to continue along the Dalmatian coast
- Via Julia Augusta
The Via Julia Augusta is the name given to the Roman road formed by the merging of the Via Aemilia Scauri with the Via Postumia, running from Placentia to Arelates through Derthona , Vada Sabatia , Albingaunum and Album Intimilium .It was begun in 13 BC by Augustus, and originally stopped at La...
(8 BCYear 8 BC was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.-Deaths:* November 27—Horace, Roman poet * Maecenas, Roman politician and patron of the arts * Empress Xu...
), exits AquileiaAquileia is an ancient Roman city in what is now Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natiso , the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times.-History:Aquileia was founded as a colony by the Romans in 180/181 BC...
- Via Labicana
The Via Labicana was an ancient road of Italy, leading east southeast from Rome. It seems possible that the road at first led to Tusculum, that it was then extended to Labici, and later still became a road for through traffic; it may even have superseded the Via Latina as a route to the southeast,...
, southeast from Rome, forming a system with the Praenestina
- Via Ostiensis, from Rome to Ostia
- Via Postumia
The Via Postumia was an ancient highroad of northern Italy constructed in 148 BC by the consul Spurius Postumius Albinus Magnus.It ran from the coast at Genua through the mountains to Dertona, Placentia and Cremona, just east of the point where it crossed the Po River...
(148-Religion:* The Gospel of Peter is written in Syria.* Change of Patriarch of Constantinople from Patriarch Athendodorus to Patriarch Euzois....
), from VeronaVerona is a city in Veneto, northern Italy, one of the seven provincial capitals in the region. It is one of the main tourist destinations in north-eastern Italy, thanks to its artistic heritage, several annual fairs, shows and operas, such as the lyrical season in the Arena, the ancient...
across the ApenninesThe Apennines or Apennine Mountains is a mountain range stretching c. 1,200 km from the north to the south of Italy along its east coast, traversing the entire peninsula, and forming the backbone of the country...
to GenoaGenoa is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. The city has a population of about 610,000 and the urban area has a population of about 900,000...
- Via Popilia
The Via Popilia is either of two different ancient Roman roads begun in the consulship of Publius Popilius Laenas, who was better known for his attack on the Gracchi. The other consul for that year, 132 BC, was Publius Rupilius. The first road was an extension of the Via Flaminia from Ariminum...
(132 BC-Rome:* The First Servile War ends when Publius Rupilius quelled the rebellion.* The assassination of Tiberius Gracchus, which many historians marked as the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic.-Deaths:...
), two distinct roads, one from CapuaCapua is a city in the province of Caserta, Campania, southern Italy, situated 25 km north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. The city is often mistaken for Santa Maria Capua Vetere: the remains of the ancient Capua are effectively located in the latter commune's...
to Rhegium and the other from Ariminum through the later VenetoVeneto , is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 4.8 million, and its capital is Venice....
region
- Via Praenestina
The Via Praenestina was an ancient Roman road of central Italy.It was initially called Via Gabina, from Gabii, the ancient city of Latium where it ended...
, from Rome to Praeneste
- Via Schlavonia, from Aquileia across northern Istria to Senj and into Dalmatia
- Via Severiana
Via Severiana was an ancient highroad of Italy, running southeast from Ostia to Terracina, a distance of 73 miles along the coast, and taking its name, no doubt, from the restoration of an already existing road by Septimius Severus, who was a great benefactor of Ostia.It ran along the shore at...
, TerracinaTerracina is a town and comune of the province of Latina - , Italy, 76 km SE of Rome by rail .-Ancient times:...
to Ostia
- Via Tiburtina
Via Tiburtina is an ancient road of Italy leading east-northeast from Rome to Tivoli . It was built by the Roman consul Marcus Valerius Maximus around 286 BC and later prolonged up to the territories of the Marsi and the Equi, in the Abruzzo, as Via Valeria: the total length was c. 200 km from Rome...
, from Rome to AternumAternum was a Roman town, on the site of Pescara, in Italy. Some historians refer to Aternum with the name of Ostia Aterni: in fact the town was built at the mouth of the river Aternus. Aternum had an important role in Italian transport and it was connected to Rome through the Via Tiburtina, and...
- Via Traiana Nova (Italy), from Lake Bolsena
Bolsena is a town and comune of Italy, in the province of Viterbo in northern Lazio on the eastern shore of Lake Bolsena. It is 10 km NNW of Montefiascone and 36 km NW of Viterbo...
to the Via CassiaThe Via Cassia was an important Roman road striking out of the Via Flaminia near the Milvian Bridge in the immediate vicinity of Rome and, passing not far from Veii traversed Etruria...
. Known by archaeology only
Other areas
Africa
- Main road: from Sala Colonia to Carthage
Carthage refers both to an ancient city in present-day Tunisia, and a modern-day suburb of Tunis. The civilization that developed within the city's sphere of influence is referred to as Punic or Carthaginian...
to AlexandriaAlexandria , with a population of 4.1 million, is the second-largest city in Egypt, and is the country's largest seaport, serving about 80% of Egypt's imports and exports...
.
- In Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
: Via HadrianaThe Via Hadriana was a route established by Hadrian running from Antinopolis to the Red Sea at Berenike. It was finished in 137 AD. Traces of the road line were noted by Couyat and Murray who recorded the sites of several small mansios in the southern part of the road, but few in the north and...
- In Mauretania Tingitana
Mauretania Tingitana was a Roman province located in northwestern Africa, coinciding roughly with the northern part of modern Morocco and Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla. The province extended from the northern peninsula, opposite Gibraltar, to Chellah and Volubilis to the south, and as far...
from Tingis southward (see: Roman roads in MoroccoIn 42 AD the western part of the kingdom of Mauretania was reorganized as a province of Rome Mauretania Tingitana. During the reign of emperor Claudius infrastructure was improved. A road leading in the southern direction from Tingis split in two at Ad Mercuri...
)
Albania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south-east...
/
Republic of MacedoniaMacedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country in the central Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
/
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
/
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
- Via Egnatia
The Via Egnatia was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It crossed the Roman provinces of Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thrace, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey.Starting at Dyrrachium on the...
(146 BC-Rome:*With Carthage and Greece conquered, Rome becomes the sole superpower in the Mediterranean world, a distinction it will continue to hold for approximately the next 700 years.-Africa:...
) connecting DyrrhachiumDurrës is the second-largest city of Albania. It is the most ancient and one of the most economically important cities of Albania. It is located on the central Albanian coast, about west of the capital Tirana. It is situated at one of the narrower points of the Adriatic Sea, opposite the Italian...
(on Adriatic SeaThe Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges. The Adriatic Sea is a part of the Mediterranean Sea...
) to ByzantiumByzantium was an ancient Greek city, which was founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas or Byzantas . The name "Byzantium" is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
via ThessalonikiThessaloniki , Thessalonica, or Salonica is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the Greek region of Macedonia. It is honorarily called the Συμπρωτεύουσα Symprotevousa of Greece, as it was once called the συμβασιλεύουσα symvasilevousa of the Byzantine Empire...
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
/
SerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a country located in both Central and Southeastern Europe. Its territory covers the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and central part of the Balkans...
/
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
/
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
- Via Militaris
Via Militaris or Via Diagonalis was an ancient Roman road, starting from Sigindunum , passing by Danube coast to Viminacium , through Naissus , Serdica ,PhilippopolisVia Militaris or Via Diagonalis was an ancient Roman road, starting from Sigindunum (today Serbian capital Belgrade), passing by...
(Via Diagonalis, Via Singidunum), connecting Middle Europe and ByzantiumByzantium was an ancient Greek city, which was founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas or Byzantas . The name "Byzantium" is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
In France, a Roman road is called
voie romaine in vernacular language.
- Via Agrippa
The term "Via Agrippa", describes any stretch of the network of Roman roads in Gaul that were built by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, to whom Octavian entrusted the reorganization of the Gauls. In all, the Romans built thirteen thousand miles of roads in Gaul....
- Via Aquitania
The Via Aquitania was a Roman road created in 118 BC in the Roman province of Gaul. It started at Narbonne, where it connected to the Via Domitia...
, from NarbonneNarbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon région. It lies from Paris in the Aude département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
, where it connected to the Via Domitia, to the Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres , it covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface and about one-quarter of its water surface area. The first part of its name refers to the Atlas of Greek...
across ToulouseToulouse is a city in southwest France on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With 1,102,882 inhabitants as of Jan...
and Bordeauxis a port city on the Garonne River in southwest France, with one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area at a 2008 estimate. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture of the Gironde department...
- Via Domitia
The Via Domitia was the first Roman road built in Gaul, to link Italy and Hispania through Gallia Narbonensis, across what is now southern France. The route that the Romans regularised and paved was ancient when they set out to survey it, so old that it traces the mythic route travelled by Heracles...
(118 BC-Rome:* The Roman colony of Narbo Martius is founded in Gallia Transalpina.-Numidia:* Micipsa dies and Numidia, following the king's wish, is divided into three parts, a third each ruled by Micipsa's own sons, Adherbal and Hiempsal I, and the king's adopted son, Jugurtha....
), from NimesNîmes is a city in southern France. It is the capital of the Gard department. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and it is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
to the PyreneesThe Pyrenees are a range of mountains in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain...
, where it joins to the Via AugustaVia Augusta was a Roman road crossing all the Hispania Province, from Cádiz in the southern tip of current Spain, to the Coll de Panissars, where it crossed the Pyrenees close to the Mediterranean Sea, and joined the Via Domitia...
at the Col de Panissars
- Voie romaine
Voie romaine or Steen-straete is a road in Nord département in France.It was at a time a Roman road, north-south direction extending from Boëseghem, passing by Cassel to the sea. Now it is leading to Dunkirk.-Départementale 52:...
, extending from Dunkirk to Cassel in Nord Département
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
- Petra Roman Road
Petra Road was the main road of the ancient city of Petra in Jordan built by the Romans in the first century. The road is characterized by the great gates that served as the entrance to the ancient city....
First Century PetraPetra is an archaeological site in the Arabah, Ma'an Governorate, Jordan, lying on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah , the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. It is renowned for its rock-cut architecture...
, JordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in Western Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba. Jordan shares borders with Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, the Gulf of Aqaba to the southwest,...
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
- Trajan's bridge
Trajan's Bridge or Bridge of Apollodorus over the Danube was a Roman bridge , the first to be built over the lower Danube. For more than a thousand years, it was the longest arch bridge in the world to have been built, in terms of both total and span length...
and Iron Gates road.
- Via Traiana — Porolissum Napoca Potaissa Apulum road.
- Via Pontica - Troesmis
Troesmis was an ancient town in Scythia Minor. It was situated in what is now Romania.Notitia Dignitatum shows that during 337-361 here was the headquarters of legio II Herculia....
Piroboridava CaputThe Latin root caput, for "head" or "top", has been borrowed in a variety of English words, including capital, captain, and decapitate. The name "Caputo", common in the Campania region of Italy, comes from the title used by some Roman military generals, and a variant form has surfaced more recently...
Stenarum ApulumApulum may refer to:*The Latin name of Alba Iulia.*Apulum , a Romanian porcelain manufacturing company.*Apulum , a periodical issued by the the National Museum of Unification Alba Iulia ....
Partiscum Lugio
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
/
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
- Via Pontica
Via Pontica was an ancient Roman road in Thrace along the Black Sea, starting from Byzantium and passing through Mesambria, Apollonia, Odessos, Byzone , Kallatis, Tomi and Istros ....
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
and
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
- Iter ab Emerita Asturicam, from Sevilla to Gijón
Gijón , is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history...
. Later known as Vía de la PlataThe Vía de La Plata or Ruta de la Plata is an old commercial path that crosses the west of Spain from north to south, connecting Mérida to Astorga, and in extension Seville with the Bay of Biscay, at Gijón...
(plata means "silver" in Spanish, but in this case it is a false cognate of an Arabic word balata), part of the fan of the Way of Saint James. Now it is the A-66 freewayA freeway is a type of road designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections. This is accomplished by preventing access to and from adjacent properties and eliminating all cross traffic through the use of grade separations and...
.
- Via Augusta
Via Augusta was a Roman road crossing all the Hispania Province, from Cádiz in the southern tip of current Spain, to the Coll de Panissars, where it crossed the Pyrenees close to the Mediterranean Sea, and joined the Via Domitia...
, from CádizCádiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Cádiz Province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
to the PyrénéesThe Pyrenees are a range of mountains in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain...
, where it joins to the Via DomitiaThe Via Domitia was the first Roman road built in Gaul, to link Italy and Hispania through Gallia Narbonensis, across what is now southern France. The route that the Romans regularised and paved was ancient when they set out to survey it, so old that it traces the mythic route travelled by Heracles...
at the Coll de Panissars, near La JonqueraLa Jonquera is a municipality in the comarca of l'Alt Empordà, in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated just by the border with France.The area has always been an important pass through the Pyrenees. A contemporary motorway runs not far from the ancient Roman road, the Via Augusta...
. It passes through ValenciaValencia is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 810,064 in 2008. It is the 22nd-most populous municipality in the European Union and 35th-most populous urban area in the European Union with a...
, TarragonaTarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia and east of Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès...
(anciently Tarraco), and BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
.
- Camiño de Oro, ending in Ourense, capital of the Province of Ourense, passing near the village of Reboledo.
Trans-Alpine roads
These roads connected modern Italy and
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
- Via Claudia Augusta
The Via Claudia Augusta is an ancient and very important Roman road, which linked the valley of the Po River with Rhaetia across the Alps....
(47Year 47 was common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.-Roman Empire:* Consuls are the emperor Claudius and Lucius Vitellius....
) from AltinumAltinum is the name of an ancient coastal town of the Veneti in Venetia, 15 km SE of Tarvisium , in Italy, on the edge of the lagoons. It is reported to have been very wealthy...
(now Quarto d'AltinoQuarto d'Altino is a town in the province of Venice, Veneto, Italy. SP41 goes through it.The name "Quarto D'Altino" is composed by the prefix "Quarto" because the town was a quarter of a mile from the Roman city Altinum.-Sources:*...
) to AugsburgAugsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria in Germany. It is a College town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
via the Reschen PassThe Ötztal Alps are a mountain range in the central Alps of Europe, part of the Central Eastern Alps. They are arrayed at the head of the Ötztal, a side valley of the Inn River southwest of Innsbruck, Austria; the line of summits forms part of Austria's border with Italy.The western border is the...
- Via Mala from Milan
Milan in Italy, is the capital of the region of Lombardia and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while the urban area is the fifth largest in the E.U. with an estimated population of 4.3 million...
to LindauLindau is a Bavarian town and an island in the eastern part of the Lake Constance, the Bodensee.It is the capital of the Landkreis or rural district of Lindau. The historic city of Lindau is located on an island which is connected with the mainland by bridge and railway.- History :The name Lindau...
via the San Bernardino PassSan Bernardino Pass is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the Hinterrhein and the Mesolcina valleys between Thusis and Bellinzona . Located at , it is not to be confused with the Great St. Bernard Pass and the Little St. Bernard Pass...
- Via Decia
Trans-Pyrenean roads
Connecting
HispaniaHispania was the name given by the Romans to the whole of the Iberian Peninsula . When Rome was a republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior...
and
GalliaGallia may refer to:*Gaul , the region of Western Europe occupied by present-day France, Belgium and other neighbouring countries...
:
- Ab Asturica Burdigalam
Ab Asturica Burdigalam was a Roman road that linked the towns of Asturica Augusta in Gallaecia and Burdigala in Aquitania....
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
- Akeman Street
Akeman Street was a major Roman road in England that linked London to the Fosse Way at Cirencester. Its route passed through various towns and villages including Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Aylesbury and Bicester before changing direction towards the south-west going past Woodstock and...
- Dere Street
Dere Street or Deere Street, was a Roman road between Eboracum and what we now call Scotland. It still exists in the form of the route of many major roads, including the A1 and A68 just north of Corbridge....
- Ermine Street
Ermine Street is the name of a major Roman road in England that ran from London to Lincoln and York . The Old English name was 'Earninga Straete' , named after a tribe called the Earningas, who inhabited a district later known as Armingford Hundred, around Arrington,Cambridgeshire and Royston,...
- Fen Causeway
Fen Causeway or the Fen Road is the modern name for a Roman road of England that runs between Denver in the east and Peterborough in the west. Its path covers , passing March and Eldernell before joining the major Roman north-south route Ermine Street west of modern-day Peterborough...
- Fosse Way
The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter in South West England to Lincoln in the East Midlands, via Ilchester , Bath , Cirencester and Leicester .It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis...
- King Street
King Street is the name of a modern road on the line of a Roman road King Street is the name of a modern road on the line of a Roman road King Street is the name of a modern road on the line of a Roman road (. It runs on a straight course in eastern England, between the City of Peterborough and...
- London-West of England Roman Roads
- Peddars Way
The Peddars Way is a long distance footpath in Norfolk, England. It is 46 miles long and follows the route of a Roman road. The name is said to be derived from the Latin pedester – on foot. It is first mentioned on a map of 1587 AD...
- Pye Road
A Roman road running from Camulodunum to Venta Icenorum -Route:The road runs from Camulodunum to Venta Icenorum partly sharing a route with the A140 road....
- Stane Street
There are several Roman Stane Streets - see also Stane Street Stane Street, sometimes called Stone Street , is the modern name given to an important Roman road in England that linked London to the Roman town of Noviomagus...
- Stanegate
The Stanegate, or "stone road" , was an important Roman road built in what is now northern England. It linked two forts that guarded important river crossings; Corstopitum in the east, situated on Dere Street, and Luguvalium in the west...
- Via Devana
The Via Devana was a Roman Road in England that ran from Colchester in the south-east to Chester in the north-west. Both were important Roman military centres and it is conjectured that the main reason the road was constructed was military rather than civilian. The Latin name for Chester is Deva...
- Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
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General articles
Road descriptions
Roman law regarding public and private domain
Road construction