The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-01
THE OLD ROMAN ROADS.
They Were Quilt for Eternity"-An
Interesting Archaeological study.

Prof ]. r. S. Sterrett Of Amhurst College
in the New York Independent
The honor of having brought road build
ing to science belongs to the practical
Romans, many of whose superbly built
roads are in use at the moment. But even
the Romans felt in need for rapid transit
for the first centuries of their political ex-
istence; for it was not until the year 1874
b. c. that the first road in Italy was built,
the Via Appia, so called from Appius
Claudius, It's builder. However, in the time
of Julius Caesar all the principal cities Of
Italy were connected by roads; and under
the emperors, from Augusta onward, road
building became more and more an essen
tial feature of imperial policy. Indeed, the
international road. il would be called
nowadays, being intended first and chiefly
TO facilitate the movement and concentra-
ton OF troops, already conception of the
Roman mind.
The word via was applied alike to all
streets and roads whether in city or coun-
try. The viae privatae were farm roads
upon private estates. The Viae Vicinales
were neighborhood roads connecting viii
lages. The term viae vicinales is some
times applied to the viae publicae so that
some CONFUSION reigns as to the strict ter
mnology The Wac publicae were built
AT state expense and originally on state
lands, though when the projected road Law
through private estates, the condemned
land was assessed and due payment was
-
publicae We're built under the supervision
OF magistrate who determined their
width. their structure and the materials
70 be used. AS the power of Rome spread
there was an ever-increased need of a
means OF rapid transit between the city
OF Rome and her distant armies, and so 1t
came about that the Viae publicae because
or the use for which they were chiefly in
tended, were ofteneSt called Viae militares
Sor wac consuiares; or viae praetoriae,
when they We're built by proconsuls or pro-
praetors)
Though Augustus was the first to build
ulstmcllVeiy international military roads
yet all OIL his successors did much in the
matter OF extending the system; for the
imperial policy demanded that every new
~ conquered province be provided at
once with military roads. When on the
march, the Roman soldier was laden
down with his armor, offensive and de-
fensive, with his clothing, bedding
his equipment as to be quite UNI.
mt Qmpeditus) for sudden battle. His
armor alone was so burdensome that a
raw recruit couldsnot carry it day in and
day out without exhaustion and conse-
quently RELOCATION to the baggage train
caesar. Tor instance, is constantly telling
us or mlshaps and strategic failures caus-
ed solely by the heavy armor of the legion
aries. The baggage train of a Roman ar
my was vast and unweildy almost beyond
our conception to-day. 1t carried not only
the military chest and archives tents,
arms, armor and munitions of war of va
rlous kinds, but the private chests of the
OillCCtS anu private SOlQlefS, as we'll all
sorts OF plunder-booty it was called,
though it often consisted of unheard Of
luXuries. For instance, we read that Gaze
Sar carried with him on all his rapid
marches slabs of marble to serve as a floor
for his tent. Besides all this, the legiona-
ries Were followed by an army of women
wives of the soldiers and common camp
followers; by an army of slaves, for each
legionary had his Gallo, or body servant
and these caloneS usually outnumbered
the legionartes themselves; they were fol-
lowed. n fpo
gotiatores) and suffers Qixae), nor must
the field artillery (tormenta), the sick and
wounded be forgotten. We must remember
too, that the Roman army wien on the
march was in reality an advancing line
of battle. This was always theoretically
the case, and certainly in hostile territory
the maintenance of the battle line was ne
cessary for the protection of the vast
train. The rapid march or concentration
handicapped by an unwieldly train that
had to keep pace with the DICTIONARIES, de-
manded not only that the roads be in eX-
cellent condition, but that they be wide
to use their arms in case of sudden at
tack without being interfered with by
their neighbOrs
The Roman military roads were built to
accommodate this host advancing in bac-
tie array, and therefore the statement
that they were far superior to our mac
adamized turnpikes even need not cause
surprise. The width of the road varied ac-
cording to its Importance: some of them
we're llV lCtl WiOet lnOuSH III the prov
inces the width varied between forty and
sixty feet. The road beds were as care
fully graded and built as are those of
our railways. The Roman road builders
We're at great pains to make the road as
straight and curveless as possible; often
this air line could be attained only by
deep cuts through rocks and mountains,
or by steep fills, bridges and culverts
The road bed was prepared by excavating
all the soil for the entire width of the
road down to hardpan. The space thus
eXcavated was filled in with hard mate
rails, until the requisite level, however
high it might be, had been reached. The
roads did not run uphill and down hil SEbui
so far as possible, natural distractions
were overcome, and a grade, once reached
was stubbornly maintained, it might be
by raising the road bed, often at great
expense. In mountainous regions great
embankments were built both below the
road to support the road bed, and above
the road to prevent landslides. They did
not hesitate even to make tunnels.
The Roman road was built for eternity
When the roadbed had been prepared by
excavation, as described above, It was
carefully refilled, regardless of expense,
with layers of sand, stones and cement
The surface was so solidly dressed that
the wear and tear was reduced to a
minimum. Investigations with regard 10
the prepare ton of the roadbedS were
made years ago by BERGEN on Roman
roads that are still in use in France, and
with the following results In one road