The Appian Way or Appia begins at the foot of the colosseum. Not far afterwards is the ruins' of the Milliarium Aureum, which was built in 20 B.C. by Augustus. The Milliarium Aureum or the "Golden Milestone" listed the miles/distance from one place to another along the Appia.

Construction began on the Appian Way in 312 B.C. while Rome was conquering the Samnites. Who held territory around Capua and Beneventum. (Present day Benevento) Rome wanted a road that lade down to Capua (132 miles away) in order to tie the conquered Samnites into them. They called the road Appia Antic, the first of the Appia's. Tying conquered lands into Rome became the Roman way.

It was very important to the Romans for their roads to be straight. They believed that a straight line was the fastest way from one point to another. There is a 30-mile stretch between Cisterna di Latina to Terracina

called "la fettuccia" or "the ribbon" which is so straight it is practically paralyzing.

These people built the road through mountains, swamps, lakes and rivers. With the Pontie swamp they partly drained it in order to build the road across. They hammered piles into the marsh, and filled around the piles with stone. They would then pound in the stone and do the same thing again and again until they couldn't pound it anymore. Afterwards they laid a layered bed of road overtop.

During the renaissance men built houses on top of the tombs of Scipioni and Cotta or Casal Rotondo. Both of these houses are lived in today.

Many ruins are used as dumping grounds or are lived in. It is believed by the Italian people that the "ruins are to be used or abused". These ruins include the amphitheater in Santa Maria, were Spartacus started the slave rebellion in 73 B.C. They also include the Roman tombs that line the Appia. Ancient Romans believed that if many people knew their name they would gain immortality. The poor couldn't afford land in which to build a tomb, so they were buried underground. They were buried in loculi, coffin-like niches, which were cut into the soft rock of the catacombs. The two most known

Today only 4.5 miles of the Appian Way is within Rome's city limits. The Ap

Some common words found in the essay are:
Latina Terracina, Appian Rome's, Julius Caeser, Ancient Romans, San Callisto, Baldassare Conticaello, Benevento Rome, Roman Romans, Appian Queen, Maria Spartacus, appia antic, appia traiana, via appia traiana, appia nova, via appia, miles rome, 132 miles, roads straight, 312 bc, milliarium aureum, san callisto,
Approximate Word count = 809
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)