Roads

__Roman Roads__ by, Chase M.  All the roads built in ancient Roman times led to the city of Rome. Roads were very important because they allowed the army to move faster to battle. People could also communicate by mail and travel faster to the place they needed to be because of roads. The roads were one of the most important factors in the growth of the Roman Empire.

Roman roads were very high tech. Their roads were similar to modern roads because they had one way streets, stop signs, and many laws made for the streets. Most of the roads were built by the Roman Army. They were normally built very straight. The roads had to be 2.45 meters wide.  The first roads were made of dirt. The animals stomped on the road to make them flat. They were first made of dirt because the Romans did not know how to make concrete yet. Then the Romans started to make paved roads. These roads were first made by putting pieces of wood together on top of the path so it was flat. Then the Romans started to use concrete which was made of rocks, sand, and water. After putting the materials together, the Romans mashed it all up, and spread it onto the roads. After the concrete hardened, it was very sturdy and strong which made it great to build with it. Also many of their roads were five feet thick. To make them five feet thick the Roman army used dirt, wood, sticks, sand, blocks, and on top, cement.  In Rome, most of the roads were named after a censor. A censor was a magistrate of high rank. In Latin, the word via means road. There were six major roads in the Roman Empire. They were started by Appius Claudius, who was a censor, and he also constructed the first highway. He was a great help building the Roman roads. The six roads were Via Salaria from Rome to the Adriatic Sea, Via Flaminia from Rome to Rimini (Arimirum), Via Aurelia from Rome to France. Also Via Appia from Rome to Apulia, Via Aemilia from Ariminum to Placentia, and Via Cassia from Rome to Tuscany.  Some of the Roman roads you can still see today. The roads that are still there were made out of packed dirt, sticks, sand, and blocks on the top of the roads to make them flat. To make a tight fit, the army put some cement on the sides of the blocks then they stuck the blocks together. The roads did not have a lot of very big cracks. The roads today are based of the Roman roads. Romans thought they had the art of building roads and they did. The road system covered 50’000 miles of Rome. One of the things that Rome is most famous for is their road building.  If Romans did not have roads their city would have fallen apart. The roads were essential for the growth of the Roman Empire because people could communicate faster and the army could move faster to battle. Romans were most famous for building roads. The roads were so well built that roads today are based on the Roman roads.

 ==Nice, Alex. //World Book Student.// 2008 //“Roman Roads” // http://www.mariilan.com/ancient-Rome-Road.HTM. Woods, Michael. //Ancient Transportation//. Minneapolis, Mn: Runston Press, 2000.    <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">  <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">       ==