Show Roman Empires Empire's Highways Were Several Feet Thick The Roman Empire was inter inter- intersected intersected intersected by roads constructed prin prin- principally principally principally between the Second and a n d Fourth centuries after Christ These highways notes a writer in the Cleveland Plain Dealer va va- varied varIed varied ried from eight to fifteen feet in in width and were often laid for con con- considerable considerable considerable distances on bases sev sev- several several several eral feel thick They were to a large lar e extent roads of hard ma ma- materials materials whatever the country trav trav- traversed traversed traversed afforded and were so well built that the original construction of some of them is still found In In- Indeed Indeed deed some of these highways were so durably built that they have sus sus- sustained sustained sustained the traffic of 2000 years without great injury Soldiers slaves and criminals were employed in the construction of the Roman roads which were almost universally built in straight lines without regard for grade probably because the use of beasts of burden as the chief means of transport made the preservation of the level an affair of minor im im- im- im The Roman Forum is said to have been the point of convergence of twenty-four twenty roads which with their branches had a total length of Roman miles In Great Britain there were four principal Roman roads street from irom Kent to Cardigan bay street from St. St Davids David's to Tynemouth Fosse way from Corn Corn- Cornwall Cornwall Cornwall wall to Lincoln and Ermin street from St. St Davids David's to Southhampton |