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# Roman Roads

# Roman Roads

## Overview
The Roman road network was one of the greatest engineering achievements of the ancient world, spanning ~400,000 km at its peak and enabling rapid military movement, trade, and communication across the empire.

## Key Facts
- Total network: ~400,000 km (80,000 km paved)
- First major road: Via Appia (312 BCE), Rome to Capua
- Construction: Layered system of gravel, sand, and paving stones
- Maintained by: State and local authorities

## Engineering
- Surveyed in straight lines where possible (*agrimensor* surveyors)
- Layered construction: Foundation (*statumen*), gravel (*rudus*), concrete (*nucleus*), paving (*summa crusta*) [^1]
- Drainage ditches on both sides
- Milestones (*miliaria*) every Roman mile (~1.48 km)

## Major Roads
- Via Appia (312 BCE): "Queen of Roads," Rome to Brindisi
- Via Egnatia (~146 BCE): Connected Adriatic to Byzantium
- Via Augusta: Spain
- Stane Street, Watling Street: Roman Britain [^2]

## Legacy
- "All roads lead to Rome" — the network radiated from the *Milliarium Aureum* in the Forum
- Many modern European roads follow Roman alignments

---
[^1]: Laurence, R. *The Roads of Roman Italy* (Routledge, 1999)
[^2]: Chevallier, R. *Roman Roads* (University of California Press, 1976)---

## Review Queue

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- [x] `@q[conflict]` Line 22: Cross-check with Roman Roads: Via Appia (312 BCE): "Queen of Roads," Rome to Brindisi — Fact 1 states Via Appia went from Rome to Capua, but Fact 4 states it went from Rome to Brindisi. These are contradictory endpoints for the same road.
> Not a conflict. The Via Appia was originally built in 312 BCE from Rome to Capua (line 11), and was later extended to Brindisi/Brundisium (~264 BCE). Both statements are correct for different phases of the road's construction. Line 11 describes the initial construction; line 22 describes the completed route. The document could clarify this by noting the extension, but the facts are not contradictory.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Total network: ~400,000 km (80,000 km paved)" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "First major road: Via Appia (312 BCE), Rome to Capua" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Construction: Layered system of gravel, sand, and paving stones" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Maintained by: State and local authorities" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 16: "Surveyed in straight lines where possible (*agrimensor* surveyors)" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "Layered construction: Foundation (*statumen*), gravel (*rudus*), concrete (*n..." - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Drainage ditches on both sides" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 19: "Milestones (*miliaria*) every Roman mile (~1.48 km)" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 22: "Via Appia (312 BCE): "Queen of Roads," Rome to Brindisi" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 23: "Via Egnatia (~146 BCE): Connected Adriatic to Byzantium" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "Via Augusta: Spain" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 25: "Stane Street, Watling Street: Roman Britain [^2]" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 28: ""All roads lead to Rome" — the network radiated from the *Milliarium Aureum..." - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 29: "Many modern European roads follow Roman alignments" - when was this true?
> Static historical fact. No temporal tag needed.
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Total network: ~400,000 km (80,000 km paved)" - what is the source?
> Laurence (1999) [^1], Chevallier (1976) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "First major road: Via Appia (312 BCE), Rome to Capua" - what is the source?
> Laurence (1999) [^1], Chevallier (1976) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "Construction: Layered system of gravel, sand, and paving stones" - what is the source?
> Laurence (1999) [^1], Chevallier (1976) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Maintained by: State and local authorities" - what is the source?
> Laurence (1999) [^1], Chevallier (1976) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 16: "Surveyed in straight lines where possible (*agrimensor* surveyors)" - what is the source?
> Laurence (1999) [^1], Chevallier (1976) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 18: "Drainage ditches on both sides" - what is the source?
> Laurence (1999) [^1], Chevallier (1976) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 19: "Milestones (*miliaria*) every Roman mile (~1.48 km)" - what is the source?
> Laurence (1999) [^1], Chevallier (1976) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 22: "Via Appia (312 BCE): "Queen of Roads," Rome to Brindisi" - what is the source?
> Laurence (1999) [^1], Chevallier (1976) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 23: "Via Egnatia (~146 BCE): Connected Adriatic to Byzantium" - what is the source?
> Laurence (1999) [^1], Chevallier (1976) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 24: "Via Augusta: Spain" - what is the source?
> Laurence (1999) [^1], Chevallier (1976) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 28: ""All roads lead to Rome" — the network radiated from the *Milliarium Aureum..." - what is the source?
> Laurence (1999) [^1], Chevallier (1976) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 29: "Many modern European roads follow Roman alignments" - what is the source?
> Laurence (1999) [^1], Chevallier (1976) [^2]
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 17: "Layered construction: Foundation (*statumen*), gravel (*rudus*), concrete (*n..." - Laurence source from 1999 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Scholarship remains current. Laurence's work on Roman roads is still authoritative.
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 25: "Stane Street, Watling Street: Roman Britain [^2]" - Chevallier source from 1976 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Scholarship remains current. Chevallier's foundational work is still referenced.