In 500 BC, Roma had a powerful empire that had a vast army and endless acres of land. However, Rome needed a way of communication with its colossal army and it's 113 provinces.The Romans began constructing roads, which at the time they were called viae. They were intended for carrying material from one location to another. People walked or passed with cattle, vehicles, or traffic of any thing along the path. The viae differed from the many other smaller or rougher roads, bridle-paths, drifts, and tracks. This also allowed the armies to get to one place that was having a riot/invasion against the Rome's and they could travel in a couple of days or weeks to put down the trouble.

To make the roads the Romans used stones, broken stones mixed with cement and sand, cement mixed with broken tiles, curving stones, so the water could drain, and on the top they used tightly packed paving stones. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km of roads, including over 80,500 km of paved roads. When Rome reached the height of its power, 29 military highways ran from the city. At one point in time, there were 372 road links throughout Rome.

The significance of the roman roads is that people where able to travel from one side of the roman empire in less than a month without getting tired from all the strenuous travel and that where able to bring more with them and where less likely to get stuck in ditches or in holes full of mud. This is very important because the rulers of Rome where now able to take there army and all there equipment and soldiers across the country. The people where also able to take there wares and culture to different provinces of Rome and so cultural diffusion was able to happen in Rome. With all of these roads in central Rome and all of its territories, Rome was able to maintain its magnificent empire.

• *Via Aemilia, from Rimini to Placentia
• **Via Appia, the Appian Way (312 BC) from Rome to Apulia
• **Via Aurelia (241 BC) from Rome to France
• **Via Cassia, from Rome to Tuscany
• *Via Flaminia (220 BC) from Rome to Rimini
• Via Raetia, from Verona north across the Brenner Pass
• **Via Salaria, from Rome to the Adriatic Sea

*- Means parts of it are still intact

**- Still alive