"all roads lead to rome"

trOver

Golden Member
Aug 18, 2006
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we have to figure out what this quote means- any help? does it have to do with rome being the main empire/city in the world during that time? and if you went on a road, it most likly went to rome because of trade routes?

any help would greatly appriciated. plz reply!!!
 

daveshel

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
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Yes, it was a reference to Rome being the power and commercial center, not so much a literal description of traffic paths.
 

Pacemaker

Golden Member
Jul 13, 2001
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Partially it was because as Rome grew it built roads to it's new cities. This meant for the most part in the ancient world (if you were going in the right direction, and were in Rome controlled or once Rome controlled area) that the road would hit Rome eventually. However, as daveshel pointed out it was mostly about the economics of Rome.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
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Originally posted by: trOver
any other ideas?

No

Well, Wikipedia says this:
"A proverb says that "all roads lead to Rome." Roman roads were designed that way to hinder provinces organising resistance against the Empire."
 

Atheus

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2005
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The Romans were prolific road builders, in fact, many roads in Europe still follow the path of one of these ancient highways. They were the first major roads ever built. You can often tell you're on a Roman road because they are almost perfectly straight, cutting through the landscape, and the towns on either side of it look like they have been there forever.

I believe that at the time, all roads really did lead to Rome. Get on one and head in the general direction of Italy, eventually, you will end up in Rome.

These days the expression just means that it doesn't matter how you get to a goal, as long as you get there in the end.
 

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,389
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The reason "All Roads Lead to Rome" is because the Theropian provinces were major trade routes of spices and other assortments from the orient. Future roads constructed went through Rome to get to their destination because distribution of supplies in the country were central to the negotioto rulings sent down by the Caesar. This was to ensure that goods were taxed and the assistants to the monarch would collect their bounty. It's important to remember this because without understanding tax collecting in the early years of Italia's great history, does not represent how they built such a powerful and extreme army that conquered the land as far as their supply lines would reach.
 

SarcasticDwarf

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2001
9,574
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Originally posted by: Atheus
The Romans were prolific road builders, in fact, many roads in Europe still follow the path of one of these ancient highways. They were the first major roads ever built. You can often tell you're on a Roman road because they are almost perfectly straight, cutting through the landscape, and the towns on either side of it look like they have been there forever.

I believe that at the time, all roads really did lead to Rome. Get on one and head in the general direction of Italy, eventually, you will end up in Rome.

These days the expression just means that it doesn't matter how you get to a goal, as long as you get there in the end.

Modern roads tend to follow the same route as the Roman roads because the Roman cities are (for the most part) still there. Since they needed roads between them then, they built them. The modern roads are near them simply because if you have points A and B, there is generally only one good way to get between them.
 

Atheus

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2005
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Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf
Originally posted by: Atheus
The Romans were prolific road builders, in fact, many roads in Europe still follow the path of one of these ancient highways. They were the first major roads ever built. You can often tell you're on a Roman road because they are almost perfectly straight, cutting through the landscape, and the towns on either side of it look like they have been there forever.

I believe that at the time, all roads really did lead to Rome. Get on one and head in the general direction of Italy, eventually, you will end up in Rome.

These days the expression just means that it doesn't matter how you get to a goal, as long as you get there in the end.

Modern roads tend to follow the same route as the Roman roads because the Roman cities are (for the most part) still there. Since they needed roads between them then, they built them. The modern roads are near them simply because if you have points A and B, there is generally only one good way to get between them.

Well, that, and the fact that it's easier to build on top of an old road than make a new one. No need to dig foundations then.

 

SarcasticDwarf

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2001
9,574
2
76
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf
Originally posted by: Atheus
The Romans were prolific road builders, in fact, many roads in Europe still follow the path of one of these ancient highways. They were the first major roads ever built. You can often tell you're on a Roman road because they are almost perfectly straight, cutting through the landscape, and the towns on either side of it look like they have been there forever.

I believe that at the time, all roads really did lead to Rome. Get on one and head in the general direction of Italy, eventually, you will end up in Rome.

These days the expression just means that it doesn't matter how you get to a goal, as long as you get there in the end.

Modern roads tend to follow the same route as the Roman roads because the Roman cities are (for the most part) still there. Since they needed roads between them then, they built them. The modern roads are near them simply because if you have points A and B, there is generally only one good way to get between them.

Well, that, and the fact that it's easier to build on top of an old road than make a new one. No need to dig foundations then.

To a limited extent, yes, but most Roman roads were designed for the military. These roads tended to be narrow (8 feet) and go straight over obstables, leading to a 20% grade in many places. Sure, the roads right in and directly around a city are usually on top of the old road simply because they were maintained in some form.
 

ksaajasto

Senior member
Nov 29, 2006
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Trevor, this is Mrs. Anderson. I'm very disappointed in you... for this you get an F!!!!


lol, ttul
KS
 

Jadow

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2003
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ever see the scene in Sparticus with all the heads on sticks. awesome!
 

ZippyDan

Platinum Member
Sep 28, 2001
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ideally, all roads were supposed to end in Rome by Caesar's design. i forget the name of the Caesar and i forget the name of the object, but all Roman roads used to have milemarkers or sign posts or something. i believe this Caesar setup a bronze milemarker with a special name in or near the Forum in Rome, and all roads would theoretically begin/end there.

another way to think of it though, no matter what road you were on, if you traveled long enough, you would end up in Rome, since it was the hub of the world

edit: it was called the Milliarium Aureum or Golden Milestone, even though it was made of bronze, and the exact location is unknown but guessed at. Originally erected by Augustus. http://transportationhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/roman_roads
http://www.milestonesweb.com/datum.htm

or google it
 

Canai

Diamond Member
Oct 4, 2006
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Augustus was so proud of his roads he had coins minted reminding people he had paid for them. Actually he just did it to make people his peons.