The Roman highways The Romans were the most methodical road builders of the ancient world, and they were well aware of the military, economic, and administrative benefits of a solid road system. So, they built roads all over their empire. These roads were made mostly of crushed rock and soil, with some lime used to make the rock easier to handle when it was time to repair or build new roads. The original paths cut by animals or people were often improved upon by the Romans, who also built bridges, tunnels, and aqueducts. The best-known example of a Roman highway is probably the Appian Way in Italy; this road was originally built under the command of Appius Claudius Caecus to help defend the borders of his country against invasion. After his death, the job was continued by his son and grandson, who both added many improvements to the road. In addition to being useful for defense, the roads also helped trade spread throughout the empire, so they were very important to the economy of Rome. The first roads in Europe were built by Greek and Roman settlers who wanted to travel from place to place more easily. They usually started at points where there were large populations of people and workers needed, such as cities or important military posts. Some early roads were even made of wood, which was replaced later on by stone or gravel.