How did the roman roads play an important role in the empire's success?

Answer 1

The Roman roads provided communication routes which linked the various areas of the vast Roman Empire and were crucial to link the provinces of the empire, and to facilitate their integration into the imperial system, the administration and the economy of the empire and its defence.

The Romans network of roads throughout their empire totalled the 400,000 kilometres (250,000 miles). They provided a communication system which facilitated travel, administration and trade. People could travel more easily. The roads were also used by government officials who were appointed in the provinces and had to travel there or were transferred from a province to another. They were important for the government-supervised cursus publicus or cursus vehicularis, the postal service of the Romans. In the Later Empire it had two branches, the fast one (cursus velox ) which used horses and/or mules (the veredi, saddle horses, and the parhippi, "pack-horses or mules) and a slower one (cursus clabularis) which used oxen-driven carts. There were messengers who carried the letters of the rich or government information and/or instructions and military messengers. It has been estimated that the messengers could cover about 50 miles per day. The roads were also important for the transport of goods for trade. There is evidence what goods often travelled on the roads for the very long distances, from a far-flung corner of the empire to another.

The Roman roads had mansiones (staying places, singular mansio) every 20 to 30 km (15 to 18 miles) which were refreshment and resting places for government officials. The resting places for rich travellers were the tabernae which were originally houses near the roads which were required by law to provide accommodation on demand and developed into more luxurious rest palces. Ordinary people went to the cauponae (private inns) near the masiones, which were seen as seen as being disreputable and as being were frequented by thieves and prostitutes.

About 20% of the Roman roads (80,500km, 50,313 miles) were the famous stone-paved roads. They had a military purpose. They made the movement of soldiers and the delivery of supplies to troops at the front or stationed in garrisons much easier and faster. They were also used for general travel and the transport of goods for trade. Their military nature was also shown in by the fact that they were usually built on a straight line, even when they crossed hilly areas. Traders also used these roads to transport their goods. They complained that the straight tracts over steep gradients made it very difficult for their laden wagons. After these complaints at least some of these tracts were redesigned to allow for less steep gradients.

Answer 2

Because they were straight, wide and (where possible) paved, they allowed the Roman merchants -- and more importantly, the Roman armies -- to quickly travel where they were most needed. This allowed the empire to thrive for centuries, despite covering much of Europe and parts of northern Africa.

Answer 3

The romans built good roads in order to move their massive armies quickly from place to place. The roads they built also helped roman merchants move around.