Show Roman Highways Built for March of Legions When tile the Romans Homans set out to con con- conquer con conquer quer the whole known n world of their da day their practical minds came to their assistance and the they built huilt as the Ion long arm of their conquests spread around the shores of the Mediterranean per per- permanent per per- permanent permanent manent highways s throughout I their em- em em for the swift and safe movement ol of troops throughout nil ail the hey conquered says SUS saysa It a writer in the New ew York Times Their first principle was to draw w a 1 straight ht line between their most Important im important Im- Im camps cumps The Applan way which was begun in 31 B Ii C one of their greatest achievements extended throughout hout the length of the Italian peninsula from fromn the Forum In the tile Eter Iter- Eternal Eternal nal nol city It Itself elf to Brindisi from which the legions embarked on their jour jour- journeys journeys lIes to 10 the ea east cast t Tim The pillar set up by Pompey to tl mark marl the lie southern u- u ex extremity of the great reat road ma may still lIe be seen In the lie modern cit city The fhe Romans Homans built huilt their roads hy by first cutting parallel trenches through h the soil soli to In Indicate this tho width of the tho roadway remo ln removing 56 earth untila until n a solid foundation was reach reached ell Upon this four la layers ers of were beaten down the thc lowet usually of tint stone stolle sometimes laid ii 1 1 mortar above which a n layer laJer of coarse coa se concrete of smashed stones was superposed su Above this was vas a I layer la-er of finer r stones or 01 con con- concrete con con- concrete concrete crete on which was laid a surface of fine stones tones matched The width of some of ot their roads was 14 feet teet on each side of which were paved un-paved un ua- ua paved roadways half hair as wide again |