Contrary to popular belief that the Romans built straight roads that all converged in Rome, a new study has revealed that the Roman road network was more complex and did not necessarily lead to Rome.
The famous saying "all roads lead to Rome" is partly true in practice, but it is inaccurate when looking at the structure of the network itself.
Rome was the final destination for any traveler seeking to reach the heart of the empire, but this does not mean the network was designed with Rome as its geometric center. Rather, it was a complex, multi-centered network shaped by geography and practical needs.
In the new study, researchers analyzed 300,000 kilometers of Roman roads in the former empire, creating the most detailed picture yet of how this network was built.
It was long believed that Rome was at the center of this network, and that the Romans built straight, paved roads. However, the study revealed a complex network shaped by local geography and the slope of the surrounding areas. Furthermore, other cities, such as Ankara and Byzantium in Turkey, were even more centrally located within the road network than Rome itself.
Lead author Dr. Adam Bazot of the Autonomous University of Barcelona said: "The study shows that Roman engineers adapted road construction to the terrain. Although they preferred straight paths where possible, roads were generally less straight than modern main roads. Mountains, valleys, rivers and settlements contributed to shaping their routes, while engineering techniques such as terraces, rock cuttings, retaining walls and bridges allowed for crossing difficult terrain."
To understand how this network worked, researchers examined the structural characteristics of Roman roads using a digital model they had previously created called Itiner-e, a stunning map that captures the vast network of the Roman Empire as it appeared some 2,000 years ago . The network stretched across 1.5 million square miles of Europe, from northern England to France, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and into parts of North Africa.
Along these routes, the Romans transported people, military equipment, food, wine, and much more in chariots and on horses.
The researchers analyzed four key characteristics of the local topography: average maximum slope, elevation, orientation, and road "straightness," and then compared them to modern paved roads in the same area.
The analysis revealed that Roman roads were mostly straight where the terrain allowed, but in mountainous areas they were less straight than modern roads due to the technologies available at the time
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found that the least straight Roman roads were in the mountainous regions of southeastern Europe, while the straightest roads were in the lowlands of western Europe and North Africa.
The analysis also revealed that cities like Antioch, Ankara, and Byzantium were more central to the road network than Rome itself. The researchers stated, "Roman roads were much more than just transportation routes. They helped structure the movement of people, trade, technology, and beliefs across the empire. Understanding how this network functioned offers a new way to explore how infrastructure can shape societies and how decisions made thousands of years ago can continue to influence the environments we live in today."
To create the Itiner-e map, researcher used archaeological and historical records, topographic maps, and satellite imagery. They relied in part on the stone "milestones" that the Romans placed at regular intervals along roads, some of which still exist today. They also used the remains of Roman "service stations." The map represents a picture of the year 150 AD, when the Roman Empire was at its peak, stretching from modern-day Britain to Egypt and Syria and encompassing more than 55 million people.
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