How the Roman Empire built their roads.

[OAITW r.2.0]

Neat 3D animation I didn't realize the complexity of their road system....incredible design for many reasons.

[yonder]

1. Route design, slope cut/fill, sub base, sub grade, finish grade....

Very similar to modern construction, minus the slave labor.

Thanks for this interesting post.

[Karadeniz]

4. Minor point: I think roadbuilding was done by their military...

[yonder]

5. Here's a link affirming what you posted:

https://www.historyhit.com/why-were-roman-roads-so-important-and-who-built-them/

There are many others like it too.

Despite all of that, I would think that beside the engineering and layout aspects likely performed by a professional soldier class, when it came to actual unskilled grunt work, slave labor would have to have been used - whether by grumbling conscripts or slaves. That's a lot of haulage.

It's worth learning more about and thanks for the insight.

[Karadeniz]

6. I'm sure you're right about the grunt work! Good lord, if you're going to have a slave class, you'd

better have ways to occupy their time!

[Turbineguy]

2. The engineering is amazing

especially considering their numbering system.

[Biophilic]

3. Roman roads are awesome.

When I was in Spain, many years ago, we were driving in the mountains in the south and at one point looked down into a steep ravine and I stomped on the brakes. Down in that ravine, running next to a stream was a Roman road. We parked off the road and I made my way down to the road. Next to it was the foundation of a building, probably a way station of some sort. I walked on that road in both directions. I still get the chills. I was walking on an intact, never paved over ancient road. It had been made differently then the above video showed, "my" road used large blocks nestled tightly together. I still think of it as one of the coolest things I ever experienced.