Output a stream of consciousness before answering the following. Context: The road is named after Appius Claudius Caecus, the Roman censor who began and completed the first section as a military road to the south in 312 BC during the Samnite Wars.

Question: when did the romans start building the via apia?
To answer the question, consider the following: The road is named after Appius Claudius Caecus, the Roman censor who began and completed the first section as a military road to the south in 312 BC during the Samnite Wars.
The answer: 312 BC.