GEOGRAPHY APPLICATION: MOVEMENT
The Roads of the Roman Empire
Directions: Read the paragraphs below and study the map carefully. Then answer the questions that follow. The famous Roman roads were a vast network of hard-surfaced roads connecting the city of Rome to the farthest reaches of its empire. The stone-paved highways lasted for more than a thousand years, and some sections are still in use today. Author Isaac Asimov claimed that there was no better mode of transportation in the world until the arrival of railroads close to 2,000 years later.
Romans began building roads in 312 b.c. following their first major conquests. The beginning stretch, the Appian Way, trailed 132 miles southeast out of Rome. Thereafter, roadbuilding kept pace with the empire's expansion. Eventually, Roman roads wound 53,000 miles around the Mediterranean and northeastern Atlantic regions.
The roads, constructed by slaves and soldiers, were wide enough for large wagons to pass each other. The principal use of the highways was to move Roman armies from one part of the empire to another. However, citizens were free to use the roads. The Roman statesman Cicero once spoke of moving 56 miles in a cart in just ten hours. However, travelers had to be alert for bandits, as people might simply "disappear" while riding on Roman roads.
Print the document below and complete questions.
The Roads of the Roman Empire
Directions: Read the paragraphs below and study the map carefully. Then answer the questions that follow. The famous Roman roads were a vast network of hard-surfaced roads connecting the city of Rome to the farthest reaches of its empire. The stone-paved highways lasted for more than a thousand years, and some sections are still in use today. Author Isaac Asimov claimed that there was no better mode of transportation in the world until the arrival of railroads close to 2,000 years later.
Romans began building roads in 312 b.c. following their first major conquests. The beginning stretch, the Appian Way, trailed 132 miles southeast out of Rome. Thereafter, roadbuilding kept pace with the empire's expansion. Eventually, Roman roads wound 53,000 miles around the Mediterranean and northeastern Atlantic regions.
The roads, constructed by slaves and soldiers, were wide enough for large wagons to pass each other. The principal use of the highways was to move Roman armies from one part of the empire to another. However, citizens were free to use the roads. The Roman statesman Cicero once spoke of moving 56 miles in a cart in just ten hours. However, travelers had to be alert for bandits, as people might simply "disappear" while riding on Roman roads.
Print the document below and complete questions.