The Romains created a network of roads, called Roman ways , making it possible to traverse the whole of the Empire starting from the Urbs, Rome. Their goal is to connect between them the cities of all the points of the Italy then Empire with the political or economic decision-making centres, this most easily possible, where all is organized for the comfort of the user. Initially of military use, they will be at the origin of the economic expansion of the Empire.

First strategic ways

Until towards 400 av. J. - C., the Romans used tracks to move of Rome towards the surrounding cities. The raid of the Gallic of Brennus which will prove to be disastrous for the Romans in -390, will be thus the first revealing one of the inefficiency of the defensive system of Rome, due mainly to the slowness of progression of the troops on the ways of the time. The need for a better allied defense to a will of expansion and hegemony on Italy leads a Roman République still fragile and threatened of outside to set up a network adapted to its needs for solids empierrées roads and relay. These axes allowed a faster and easy circulation commercial goods, but also of the prompt transfers of the troops.

The first way was created in -312 by Appius Claudius Caecus to connect Rome to Capoue: it is about the Via Appia, the Way Appienne . At the end of the Roman Republic, the whole of the territory of the Italian peninsula was equipped with these main roads, each road bearing the name of the Censeur which had created it. These ways were paved only exceptionally: inside the cities and with their accesses (except the Via Appia, which was gradually paved on all its course).

The expansion of the network, a commercial tool

Progressively from the expansion of the Empire, the administration thus will adapt the same diagram to the new provinces. With its apogee, the principal Roman highway network will reach thus approximately 150.000 kilometers. The Roman tradesmen very quickly transfer the interest of such axes. To the difference in other Mediterranean civilizations which had founded their commercial development quasi only starting from their ports, they will use their highway network in parallel with their commercial flotilla. That will support the exchanges with the interior of the continent and will be at the origin of their fulgurating commercial expansion. Whole areas thus will specialize and trade between them (wines and oil in Hispanie, cereals in Numidie, potteries and meat products in Gaulle, for example).

The apogee of the network or end of the Empire

Starting from IIIe century, the Roman world, well with the shelter behind the Files, its strengthened border, is overflowed little by little by the people come from the east: it is the beginning of the great invasions. Ostrogoths, Huns, Visigoths thus will follow one another on an highway network of an exceptional quality. This will thus make it possible to accelerate the progression of these groups. The Roman way, which was one of the keys of the expansion of the Empire was thus one of those of its fall.

The construction of the Roman ways

Development of the layout

When the decision of construction had been made, the delimitation of the layout was then entrusted to land-surveyors, the agrimenseurs or '' mensores ''. These land-surveyors used some tested instruments:

  • the groma , which is the ancestor of current the square of land-surveyor. It was used to facilitate the layout of the right angles. It made up of four branches and is equipped with five wire for lead which made it possible to trace perpendicular lines starting from a central point.
  • the Chorobate , great rule (nearly 6 m) rigid on foot and dug in its upper part of a groove containing of water. It was used for the calculation of level, making it possible to give a regular slope in the zones in relief.
  • the diopter , instrument made up of a triangle provided with a plumbline. It was useful for levelling of the road.

Generally, the Roman ways are characterized by a great straightness. They avoid to the maximum the marshy zones and the immediate surroundings of the rivers. When there was obligation of crossing, the way passed on a Gué (small rivers) or on a Pont, from wood or stone, of which it remains still to date of splendid specimens still borrowed by the current highway network. In zone of relief, they borrow a layout from semi-slope, for reasons of convenience and safety. Many layouts also marry the level lines, where their links could be made abruptly, by strong slopes. The ways widened in the turns to allow the carriages, deprived of front-axle unit, to swivel as well as possible.

After the catch of measurements, the land-surveyors piquetaient the layout using stakes. To finish the preparation of the layout place had clearing of undergrowth and the bûcheronnage.

See also: Centuriation Roman

The building site of the way

Generally, construction progressed simultaneously in several sections independent of variable distance. This fact explains the light changes of orientation often observed. Construction is entrusted inter alia to the soldiers who thus find an occupation in times of peace. The sections thus carried out are near the military camps. The other sections are built by the slaves, the colonists of the bordering owners and the prisoners. Contrary thus the generally allowed idea, the Roman way does not obey a standard standard but rather a whole of sections of more or less good quality and maintained more or less well. Installation was different according to topography from the ground:

  • digging in flat ground,
  • raising out of trench-spoil in ground in relief,
  • emblaiement-supporting for the troughs of low pressure.

The completed earthwork, one set up various layers of local materials:

  • the statumen : it is the foundation of the way, formed of blocks of coarse stones for a better base and a better drainage.
  • the rudus or nucleus : it is a layer of sand or gravels spread out over the statumen to allow an equalization of the level.
  • the highest dorsum : it is the tread, made of a mixture of fine sands, gravels, lime or of ground. It was to combine qualities of flexibility and hardness.
Contrary to a too spread idea, the Roman way is seldom paved, except for the entries of cities.

The final profile of the roadway was curvature, thus allowing an easy flow of rain water towards ditches of drainage located on each side. These ditches were used sometimes like source as filling materials for maintenance. The way being the privilege of the troops, the carriages and the cars of transport of people, of the ways often double the ways to allow the passage of the pedestrians and riders.

Various statutes of the Roman ways

The writings of Siculus Flacus, land-surveyor Roman ( mensor ) of Ier century after J.C, give us following classification:

The viae publicae

They are the great ways of the Empire, the main arteries of the highway network, connecting the large cities between them. They are also called viae praetoriae (Praetorian ways), viae militares (military ways) or viae consulares (consular ways). It is the State which deals with the financing of their construction, but a contribution can be required cities and great landowners of the fields crossed by these ways.

They often bear the name of the person who brought the project of her construction (Clutched for the Via Agrippa, Domitius Ahenobarbus for the Via Domitia).

Management is then placed from there under the monitoring of the curator viarum , civil servant of State. It is the client of work of the way, of its repairs.

The noted average width of a via publica is from 6 to 12 Mr. Some examples of public highways:

Random links:Isabelle de Ludres | Mastrils | Structure of the blade of the Japanese saber | 348e regiment of infantry | Herboné

© 2007-2008 speedlook.com; article text available under the terms of GFDL, from fr.wikipedia.org