Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 186, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1913 — PAVED STREETS IN 2000 B. C. [ARTICLE]

PAVED STREETS IN 2000 B. C.

Babylon and Other Ancient Cities Took Marked Interest in Good Roads. Chicago.—When or where the first road was built is not known. Herodotus speaks of a great Egyptian road oa which King Cheops' employed 100,000 men for ten years. According to the historian, this road was built of massive stone blocks ten feet deep and lined on both sides with temples, mausoleums, porticos and statues. The streets of Babylon are said to have been paved as early as 2000 B. C., and several well surfaced roads radiated to neighboring cities. Carthage, before its fall, was the center of a highly developed road system. The ancient Peruvians had a wonderful system of national roads connecting all the principal parts of their empire. Bridges were also built by the ancients at a very early date. The Euphrates, at Babylon, was crossed by a stone bridge prior to 2000 B. C.. and it is known that the Chinese built bridges as public works as early at 2900 B. C.

The first definite and fully authentic information concerning the systematic construction and maintenance of permanent roads comes to us from the Romans. It is generally understood that the Romans learned the art of road building from the Carthaginians. However, the construction of their great road was as perfect as that of any of their later ones. The first of the great Roman roads was from Rome to Capua, a distance of 142 Italian miles, and was begun by Appius Claudius about 312 B. C. It was known as the Appian Way or • Queen of Roads.” This road was later extended to Brundisium, a total of 360 miles, and was probably completed by Julius Caesar. About 220 B. C. the Flaminian Way was built. It crossed the Nar river on a stone bridge which had a central span of 150 feet, with a rise of 100 feet. When Rome reached the height of her glory, under the reign of Augustus, no less than 29 great military roads radiated from the city. More roads extended to every part of the vast empire and are estimated to have a total length of 50,000 miles. The Roman construction was In general extremely massive.