Karak Resources Project

The Romans learned the value of quality roads during their conquests and expansion in Italy in the early Republic period (509-133 B.C.). During the later Republic (133-27 B.C.) and Empire (27-B.C.-476 AD), a vast system of travel routes extending throughout the Mediterranean and Near Eastern world was one of the most obvious marks of Roman control in these areas. The frequently quoted saying that “all roads led to Rome” was true except that the Romans would have thought that all roads led from Rome! In fact, the first emperor, Augustus, had a golden pillar erected in the center of the forum in Rome to mark the beginning point for the roads that radiated outward throughout the empire. The roads were further identified by milestones set along side the road every 1000 paces – the distance of the Roman mile that would be approx. 4850 feet or about 1480 meters (about .92 of a US mile or about 1.5 kilometers). These milestones marked the distance from Rome or, in the provinces, the distance from the provincial capital. In either case, they served as solid reminders that travelers walked or rode in Roman territory.