Changes

__NOTOC__

Most people are familiar with the expression “all roads lead to Rome,” but few know that the Roman road known as the <i>Via Appia,</i> or Appian Way, was known by the Romans as the “Queen of Roads.” The Appian Way was not the first road built in Italy, but it was the first in the series of roads that connected the capital city to its vast empire and which can still be seen today in its original form in many parts of the country. An examination of the Appian Way reveals that it played an extremely important role throughout the history of the Roman Republic (509-27 BC). On a logistical level, it connected Rome at an early time with cities and regions in southern Italy, thereby bringing those places under Rome’s political hegemony. The Appian Way also helped to facilitate trade between the south and north and was used extensively in times of war.