Roman roads include bridges, tunnels, viaducts and many other architectural and engineering techniques, creating a series of amazing but very practical monuments that spread from Portugal to Constantinople. The Roman road network covers more than 120000 kilometers, which greatly promotes the free flow of troops, personnel and goods throughout the empire. The road is also a very obvious sign of Roman power, which indirectly helps to unify the huge melting pot of culture, race and system.
Roman highway network
Of course, the Romans did not invent the road, but, as in many other fields, they adopted an idea dating back to the Bronze Age and expanded the concept, daring to tap the greatest potential from it. The first and most famous Roman avenue is Via Appia (or Appian Way). It was built in 365,438+02 BC, with a total length of 65,438+096 kilometers (65,438+032 Roman miles), connecting Rome and Kapuya as straight as possible. The Romans called it Regina Neuvialle or "Queen of the Road". Just like a modern highway, it doesn't pass through less important towns along the way, which largely ignores geographical obstacles. For example, the impressive 90km from Rome to Tlaccina is a straight line. This road later extended to Brendissem, reaching 569 kilometers (385 Roman miles).
This network gradually spread all over the empire. From Britain to Syria, some roads became as famous as those around Rome.
Other famous Italian roads include Flaminia Avenue from Rome to Fano, Emilia Avenue from Plasentia to Augusta PreToria (Aosta), Postomia Avenue from Aquileia to Genua, Ariminum (Rimini) in the north to Padova, Capua to Via Popillia in Reggio Calabria in the south, and many other places, all of which have been expanded over time. These roads have become so famous that they even give names to some places and regions. This network gradually spread all over the empire. From Britain to Syria, some roads became as famous as those around Rome. For example, Domitia Avenue (starting from 1 16 BC) runs from the French Alps to the Pyrenees, which is very valuable for the mobilization of troops in the Spanish campaign. There is also Via Egnatia (which started in the middle of the 2nd century BC), passing through the Balkans and ending in Byzantium, which is an important land passage between the eastern and western parts of the empire.
In order to achieve the goal of establishing the shortest possible path between two points (usually invisible to each other), various engineering difficulties must be overcome. Once an extensive investigation has been made to ensure that the proposed route is actually straight, and to determine what kind of engineering methods are needed, it is necessary to drain swamps, cut down forests, divert streams, dig out bedrock, dig hillsides, bridge across rivers, cross valleys, viaducts and tunnels, and cross mountains. After all this is done, the road must be leveled, reinforced with supporting walls or terraces, and then of course maintained. They have been going on for over 800 years.
In addition to allowing the rapid deployment of troops, it is more important to provide them with wheeled vehicles with food and equipment. The roads in Rome allow the increase of trade and cultural exchanges. The road is also one of the ways that Rome shows its authority. For this reason, the starting point and ending point of many roads are the Arc de Triomphe, and the imperial prestige related to the realization of this project is reflected in the fact that roads are often named after local officials who funded them; Therefore, for example, the name of Via Appia is taken from the examiner, Appius Claudius Kekus.
Road design and materials
The standard width of the main road is about 4.2 m, which is enough for two-wheeled vehicles to pass each other. Roads are composed of gravel surfaces, sometimes mixed with lime, or, for more famous sections, such as near towns, volcanic tuff, pebbles or basalt (silica) or limestone paving stones. First, dig a ditch in the swamp area, and use coarse gravel, broken bricks, clay materials and even wooden stakes to hit the foundation (rudus), which is set between the kerbs. Add a finer layer of gravel (core) on it, and then spread a piece or a slab (summum dorsum) on the road surface. )。 Mountain roads may also have ridges across the surface to better attract people and animals, and ruts are carved on stones to guide wheeled vehicles.
The road deliberately slopes slightly downward from the center of the road to the side of the road, allowing rainwater to flow along both sides. For the same purpose, many roads are also equipped with drains and drains. Gravel roads for pedestrians usually extend along both sides of the road, and the width varies from 1 m to 3 m. Separate the road from the road, and the road will follow the regular vertical board. In addition, a high stop is set at every 3-5 meters on the curb to prevent wheeled vehicles from entering the sidewalk and allow people to ride horses or carry animals. Busy main roads have parking areas, some of which also provide services for passengers and their animals.
Bridges, viaducts and tunnels
The enduring symbol of Roman engineers' imagination is the many arch bridges and viaducts that still stand around the empire. From the early bridges (such as the single vault of Ponte di Mele near Velletri and the medium span of 3.6 meters) to the 700-meter-long 10 arched viaduct on Carapelle River, these structures are helpful to realize the engineer's straight-line goal. For example, the Romans built it for a long time. For example, the pier of a river-crossing bridge usually adopts a stronger arch shape and is made of strong and durable big stones, while the upper part is made of stones reinforced with iron clips, using cheaper concrete and bricks, or supporting a flat wooden superstructure. Perhaps the most impressive bridge is in Nani. It is 180 m long, 8 m wide and 33 m high. It has four huge semicircular arches, one of which is 32. 1 m long. It is one of the longest massive arches in the ancient world. The two best existing bridges are Milvi Qiao 'an Bridge in Rome (BC 109) and the bridge on Tagus River in alcantara (BC 106), which is located on the Spanish-Portuguese border.
Tunnel is another important feature of highway network if long detours are to be avoided. The most important ones include three tunnels built in BC 1 century: Cumaea 1 000 meters long, Cripta Neapolitano 705 meters long and Grotta di Seiano 780 meters long. Tunnels are usually built by excavation from both ends (reverse excavation), which obviously requires accurate geometry. In order to ensure the intersection of the two ends, sometimes a shaft is drilled from above to check the progress of the work, or a shaft is used to speed up the excavation and work on the rock from two angles. However, when crossing solid rocks, the progress is very slow, perhaps only 30 centimeters per day, which leads to the tunnel project lasting for several years.
conclusion
At that time, the road of Rome was the artery of the empire. They connect communities, cities and provinces. Without them, the Romans would certainly not have been able to conquer and maintain the vast territory they had created for centuries. In addition, due to the engineering and survey skills of the Romans, many of their roads laid the foundation for hundreds of routes across Europe and the Middle East today. Many roads in Italy still use the original Roman names in some sections, and even some bridges, such as Tre Ponti in modern Fàiti, still carry out road traffic today.