The Roads of Roman Italy (PDF)

The Road of Roman Italy brings together the subjects of ancient history, archaeology and geography to elucidate the nature of the Roman view of distance and travel in Italy. The building of Roman roads created a new geography and marked a historical change within the Mediterranean that created a new political formation - the Roman Empire. This book addresses these cultural changes to ask what was Italy, and what was the role of travel within Roman society?
The book accounts for the building of roads and the foundation of towns within Roman Italy. It then examines the effects of these geographical changes on the population of Italy of ancient Italy. The Roman view of time, distance and place is explored. An alternative view of the Roman economy is put forward through the examination of the profit gained from the transport of goods by both road and river. The experiences of travelling through the landscape of Italy is discussed alongside the cultural displays of cities via their monuments. A definition of the relationship of space and time is put forward for Roman Italy in the final chapter.
The research underpinning this book draws on the theoretical debates of the geographical sciences, and applies these new approaches to past settlements and the historic landscape of Roman Italy. The result is a unique viewpoint into the past that alters our understanding of each element: the city, the road and Italy. The book has implications for anyone studying the history and archaeology of the Roman empire.