Roman Technology

by T. Yanushefski

Roads

“All roads lead to Rome”

Within Italy, there are about 50,000 miles of roads. The primary use of these roads is to give a system of travel to the Roman army and to allow them to obtain food. In order to create the elaborate system of roads, Roman engineers are employed by the city. They use tools such as the groma to set out straight lines. The roads are set at a slight angle to allow any water or sewage runoff to simply drain off the streets. A main priority is to make sure that no puddles are allowed to form on the road because puddles are likely to freeze and damage the integrity of the roads.

Just within the city limits of Rome, there are somewhere near 55 miles of paved roads. The widths of these roads range anywhere from 16-21 ft wide, some even being raised as much as five feet off the ground. Raised roads, called aggers are created in order to set a clear boundary line between places. They are also generally larger than the regular roads, possibly being about 50 feet wide.

To create these roads, engineers have mounds of dirt built up to hold up the heavy road system, they are then paved using large stones and gravel. To create roads at a normal level, a large trench would be dug where the road was to be place, which would then be filled with large stones. After that, it would be filled with gravel, sand and flint then paved with large flat stones.

The Via Appia, or “Appian Way” is the oldest road of our early Rome. It was started in 312 BC by Appius Claudius Caecus and took over 150 years to finish. Currently, it is 350 miles long and continues to be used without and worry of road disintegration.

Bridges

When the roadway engineers would reach a wide river or valley that needed to be spanned, they would be forced to create bridges, called viaducts. Usually made of brick or stone, they are intended to keep a roadway straight and relatively flat, even when they are passing over a natural obstruction. The Pons Fabricus in Rome was created in 62 BC to cross the Tiber River, this bridge continues to be used with no worry of age.

Colosseum

Much of Rome is in anticipation of the almost finished Colosseum. Currently, construction is almost complete and it is expected to be completed sometime next year. Construction began in 72 AD and it is to be used to entertain the people of Rome. Within the walls of the Colosseum, 50,000 people will be able to watch gladiators fight with other gladiators and animals. The elaborate design also allows for the main fighting area to be flooded by use of underground water channels. By flooding the Colosseum, people will be able to be entertained by mock sea battles on a large, fake battlefield.