Ancient Rome Built 190,000 Miles Of Roads And Researchers Just Traced Them All

Live updates

1. 52m ago

   Researchers map 190,000-mile Roman road network

   Network science has allowed researchers to trace the entire 190,000-mile system of roads built by ancient Rome. The analysis challenges the traditional belief that all roads led to Rome, revealing that other cities in the empire possessed superior connectivity. Contrary to the common perception of perfectly linear engineering, the study indicates these roads were not as straight as previously thought. This mapping provides a comprehensive view of the empire's structural layout and its lasting influence on regional connectivity.

   Why it matters

   The Roman road system served as the primary infrastructure for military movement and trade across diverse territories. Understanding the actual layout helps historians determine how power and resources flowed through the empire. This research shifts the focus from a Rome-centric model to a decentralized network.

   What is confirmed

   • Ancient Rome constructed a road network totaling 190,000 miles.
   • Research shows that not all Roman roads led to Rome.
   • Some cities within the Roman empire were better connected than Rome.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Roman roads were not as straight as previously believed.
   • The road network may have led toward Istanbul.

   What to watch next

   • Identification of the specific cities that were more connected than Rome
   • Further analysis of the non-linear segments of the road network
   Sources used for this update (7)

   1. Nature — Network science reveals the structure and lasting impact of the Roman road system
   2. New Scientist — Roman roads weren’t so straight after all
   3. livescience.com — Did 'all roads lead to Rome'? New study finds other cities in the empire were better connected.
   4. Jalopnik — Ancient Rome Built 190,000 Miles Of Roads And Researchers Just Traced Them All
   5. CNN — Why all roads don’t lead to Rome
   6. Smithsonian Magazine — Researchers Have Analyzed the Roman Empire’s 190,000-Mile Network of Roads. Turns Out, Not All of Them Led to Rome
   7. Newser — All Roads Lead to... Istanbul?
   confidence 90%