Geography and History Activity: The Romans - Roman Roads PDF Free Download
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NAME ______________________________________ DATE _______________ CLASS _________
The Romans
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
Roman Roads
People in present-day Rome still drive over portions of the Appian Way. Started in
312 B.C. by Appius Claudius Caecus, the Appian Way was one of the first Roman
military highways. By studying the Roman Empire’s transport system, geographers can
get a better sense of the human geography of the region.
Ever since draft animals first pulled wheeled vehicles, people have built roads. The best
road builders of the ancient world were the Romans. Road building was a key factor in
Roman military conquest, enabling generals to move their legions quickly from one flash
point to another in a vast empire. Eventually, a transportation network of more than
50,000 miles (80,000 km) of roads—regularly marked with milestones—laced together
the Roman Empire, stretching from Britain to the Tigris-Euphrates river system and
from the Danube River to Spain and northern Africa.
Designed to handle the demands of Rome’s vast military machine, Roman roads have
lasted for centuries. Whereas earlier roads often meandered along animal trails and
contours of the terrain, Roman roads cut a remarkably straight line no matter what
obstacles lay in their path: swamps, mountains, and even ravines. They were noted not
only for their straightness but also for their solid foundations, sloped surfaces that
drained the water off the road into ditches, and the use of concrete (made from
volcanic ash and lime).
Roman roads made possible not only Roman conquests but the administration of the
empire as well. Later, these roads served as a means for the spread of Christianity.
The map shows that Rome was a primary transportation node, a hub where roads
converged, inspiring the proverb “All roads lead to Rome.”
The Roman Empire’s transport system reflected the geographic characteristics and
constraints of the region. Roman engineers adapted their techniques to make use of
local materials and to take into account local physical geography, but they always
followed the same basic principles of construction they had used in their homeland. For
example, in Spain the topography of the land called for a system of main roads around
the periphery of the peninsula, with secondary roads leading into the plateaus in central
Spain. In Britain the secondary roads were a network radiating outward from London.
The Mediterranean supported maritime trade between a network of coastal cities, the
most important of the empire (Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Carthage, and
Byzantium). From each of these cities there radiated a road network permitting trade
with its hinterland, or area lying inland from a port.
Geography and History Activity
netw rks
NAME ______________________________________ DATE _______________ CLASS _________
The Romans
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
Geography and History Activity Cont.
Directions: Answer the questions below in the space provided.
Understanding Concepts
1. Interpreting Why did a system of roads help the Romans develop economically
and politically?
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Rome
Ostia
Puteoli
Massalia
Carthage
Tarraco
Gades
Athens
Alexandria
Cyrene Caesarea
Antioch
Byzantium
Sicily
Sardinia
Crete Cyprus
Corsica
ASIA MINOR
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
C
a
s
p
i
a
n
S
e
a
Black Sea
North
Sea
Aegean
Sea
Red Sea
A
d
r
i
a
t
i
c
S
e
a
Mediterranean Sea
T
i
g
r
i
s
R
.
Euphrates R.
Nile R.
D
a
n
u
b
e
R
.
R
h
i
n
e
R
.
AFRICA
ARABIA
SPAIN
GAUL
BRITAIN
ITALY
EGYPT
PALESTINE
SYRIA
GREECE
10°W
0° 10°E 20°E 30°E 40°E 50°E
40°N
30°N
20°N
50°N
Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection
0400 km
400 miles0
N
S
E
W
People and Goods Traded:
Glassware
Grain
Horses
Marble
Metals
Roman Empire, A.D. 200
Trade route
Olive oil
Perfume
Silk
Slaves
H
Spices
Timber
Wine
Wool
The Roman Empire: Trade and Expansion
Caption: By A.D. 200, the Roman Empire was connected by a transportation network that
served an area about the size of the present-day United States.
netw rks
NAME ______________________________________ DATE _______________ CLASS _________
The Romans
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.
Geography and History Activity Cont.
2. Explaining Explain why studying transport systems can give geographers a better
sense of the human geography of a region.
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______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Applying Concepts
3. Analyzing Information Rome’s roads facilitated the administration of a vast empire.
What is the meaning of the expression “All roads lead to Rome”?
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______________________________________________________________________
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4. Making Comparisons The “highways” of the ancient Greeks were actually sea routes
throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Compare the advantages of the Greeks’ use of
water transportation with those of the Romans’ land transportation.
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5. Making Connections Modern roads are designed by highly trained civil engineers.
Use what you know about modern roads to complete this Venn diagram, showing ways
in which modern roads are similar to ancient Roman roads and ways in which they are
different.
Modern Roads Both Roman Roads
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