Your Old Road Is Rapidly Agin' Quiz

Answer:

After the overthrow of the monarchy in 509 BC and the establishment of the Republic, the Romans began to focus their attention on subjugating their neighbors. Formed in 493 BC, the Concilius Latinorum banded the different groups together and, led by Rome, began to halt the invasions of other tribes who tried to move into Roman territory in central Italy. After the Gauls attacked and pillaged Rome in 390 BC, the city was rebuilt, and the Roman army was used to begin a period of expansion.

Temporarily forced to give up the plan after the First Samnite War (343-341 BC), the Roman censor, Appius Caludius Caecus, came up with a bold idea. He ordered the building of a road to Capua, a city with which the Romans had tried to make an alliance. Completed in 312 BC, before the Second Samnite War (326-304 BC) concluded, the Appian Way allowed for the easy passage of troops and supplies, and enabled Romans to do a better job of keeping communication lines open.

During the Third Samnite War (298-290 BC) the road was extended another thirty-five miles to Venusia, and by 264 BC it reached its southern-most destination - the city of Brundisium, which is called Brindisi today. After the conclusion of the Punic Wars (264-146 BC) the city became the major port in the heel of the Italian boot-shaped peninsula. An important trading center, Brindisi was the jumping off point for reaching other important ports in Greece and the Middle East.

The Romans were obviously brilliant engineers, especially when it came to building roads, however, historians today still debate exactly how the roads were constructed. At the very least, the method described was used, but some believe today that even more layers were involved in the building process. They do agree that the stones in the top layer were fitted together with lime cement, which was possibly used for the first time while building the Appian Way. The ancient writer Procopius (c. 500-565 AD), who lived over seven hundred years after the road's completion, said the stones were placed so well that they appeared to have grown together. It still looks like that in some places. One feature that also contributed to the longevity of the road was its crowned centers which provided for water run off when it rained.

The road was well traveled from the very beginning, and not just by the military. The straightness of the Appian Way made travel easier, and this was no small footpath that could only accommodate small numbers of people. Wealthy Romans built villas along the road, and their tombs and mausoleums were were placed there as well. Monuments, temples, Christian churches, fountains, inns, and even public baths were built along the route. It was a busy place - so busy that eventually mile markers were even added to help people along their way.

After Rome fell in 476 AD the Appian Way continued to be used, and is credited today with being one of the major networks that allowed for the spread of Christianity. Its use continued on through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, when some of the first conservation efforts began to protect parts of the road. In the late 1700s a new road that ran parallel to the Appian Way was constructed for modern traffic.

Although it is not fully intact today, the Appian Way is still preserved. In 1988, the Parco dell'Appia Antica, a protected 4580-hectare (approximately 18 square miles) area that had been proposed since Napoleon's time, was established. Visitors to the park may visit the archaeological sites that line approximately the first ten miles of the ancient road that leads out of Rome. It's still a busy place today, just as it was over 2,000 years ago.