The Appian Way: the Mother of All Roman Roads

The Appian Way:
The mother of all Roman Roads

The Appian Way is the mother of all Roman roads. In this case the word “mother” is ambiguous because it has two meanings. The first meaning refers to being the “most important.” The second meaning refers to an origin or beginning. The saying, “All roads lead to Rome” is true because the Romans built thousands of miles of roads from the Appian Way. This road helped expand Rome’s culture and built a strong economy which led to a new way of trade.. The Appian Way also served as a mother to other Roman roads because of its land conditions. The Appian Way was also built with military purposes in mind. There were many rules regarding how the Romans were able to travel on the roads. All of these developments that originated from the Appian Way made it the most famous road in Rome.

The Appian Way helped expand Rome’s culture and economy. The roads were giant trade routes during peace time. The Romans carried almost everything known in the ancient world on these roads. For example, silk, horses, linen, iron, wild animals, slaves, and salt, are just a few of the items that are carried. The Roman’s traded with just about every county from Central Africa to the Far East. All of these resources helped Rome to expand economically and culturally by supplying Rome with all the resources necessary to build and great empire. This is why Rome’s culture and economy was a direct result from the Appian Way.

Another reason why the Appian Way was a mother country to all Roman roads because of its land conditions. The Appian Way had been repaired numerous times because of its great importance. The original base of the Appian Way contains, heavy stone blocks, cemented with a lime mortar and laid in such a way as to form a convex surface, in order to insure good drainage. In the beginning its was covered with gravel, but later it was overlaid with polygonal blocks of lava, expertly fitted together, providing a surface of extraordinary durability. Most of the road was still passable in as late as the middle of the 6th century A.D. It was because of these conditions, that the Appian Way was able to expand to the other roads like it did.

The Appian Way led to Roman roads that were important militarily because they bound together the growing Roman Empire. Roman wagons couldn’t turn easily so the roads were built as straight as possible. A postal service was organized for transmitting government messages. The traffic on the road was monitored by Roman officials. The road’s network facilitated the exchange of ideas, styles, and goods. It was an important link between the central authority and the people of the area. The Appian way helped the military to do it’s job and become more efficient.

There were many rules regarding how the Romans were able to travel on the roads. Most of the road users traveled on horseback or on foot. Officials and the wealthy used two and four wheel carriages. The horses were changed at posting stations that were placed every ten miles along the roads for government use. Inns were also placed at frequent intervals to provide shelter for private travelers. Surprisingly there were few traffic laws except for what and when you could drive. For example, wagons were not allowed during the day because it makes the traffic worse. The Romans got around far better then any other civilization in history. If it wasn’t for the Appian Way, none of these things would exist.

To sum up everything that has been said, the Appian Way was a very important piece in Roman history. It helps expand Rome’s economy by opening a new source of trade. It was also well known for its unique land conditions which were repaired many times. The Appian also was a leading factor during the Roman Empire, in which it help bound the solders together. Last, the Appian Way was important because of the way it transported people to different destinations. It is all of these reasons plus so many more, concluding how the Appian Way was the mother of all Roman roads.