Roman Roads

What is the best way to move a marching army from one place to another quickly? On a road, of course. The ancient Romans needed to get their soldiers from one place to another rapidly. Therefore, they built magnificent roads for transport. The Romans didn't know it in the beginning, but the roads they built would become the most extensive, well traveled roads of the ancient world. Because of their superior engineering and their extensive range, Roman roads were one of the great marvels of the past.

The structure and building of these highways was second to none. The Romans wanted to build roads that were both durable and effective, and they did just that. The key was the excellent construction. First, to build a road, surveyors looked for the shortest, straightest, flattest route to a location. The Romans were legendary for having extremely straight roads. Next, all the trees that lay in the way were cleared. Then, a trench between three and five feet deep was dug where the road was to be. In the trench, several different materials were laid. The initial layer, on the far bottom of the trench, was comprised of relatively large stones that were wedged together. Smaller stones, often bound by cement, followed. After that, tightly packed gravel was laid. Finally, large, flat stone slabs were laid on the top, and cement filled in the distance between the slabs. The surface was built with a feature called a camber, a curve that drained rain off the road. On the sides of the road were drainage ditches to collect excess water. All in all, the construction was very effective in keeping water, and therefore ice, off the roadway. It also provided a smooth, durable means of travel.

And travel the Romans did. The Via Appia, stretching from Rome to Capua, was the first road to be built. It was started in 312 B.C. By no means was it the last. Historians estimate that the Romans constructed about 50,000 miles of first class roads and