the appian way essays

the appian way essays First conceived in 312 B.C. by Appius Claudius the Appian Way was known as the Queen of roads. She was Romes first military highway, in a time when most didnt consider building roads. Let alone one that would last millenniums. The Appian Way or Appia begins at the foot of the colosseum. Not far afterwards is the ruins of the Milliarium Aureum, which was built in 20 B.C. by Augustus. The Milliarium Aureum or the Golden Milestone listed the miles/distance from one place to another along the Appia. Construction began on the Appian Way in 312 B.C. while Rome was conquering the Samnites. Who held territory around Capua and Beneventum. (Present day Benevento) Rome wanted a road that lade down to Capua (132 miles away) in order to tie the conquered Samnites into them. They called the road Appia Antic, the first of the Appias. Tying conquered lands into Rome became the Roman way. It was very important to the Romans for their roads to be straight. They believed that a straight line was the fastest way from one point to another. There is a 30-mile stretch between Cisterna di Latina to Terracina called la fettuccia or the ribbon which is so straight it is practically paralyzing. Surveyors used an instrument called a groma, much like the ones used by surveyors today, to make roads straight. Slaves, convicts, and soldiers were used to pound, smooth and level roads, and to raise walls. The roads were paved with selce, a volcanic rock that was shaped as polygons. These people built the road through mountains, swamps, lakes and rivers. With the Pontie swamp they partly drained it in order to build the road across. They hammered piles into the marsh, and filled around the piles with stone. They would then pound in the stone and do the same thing again and again until they couldnt pound it anymore. Afterwards they laid a ...