Our Ideas Of The Vastness And Wealth Of The Empire Will Be Still Farther
Encreased, If We Regard The Cities Which It Contained, Though It Is
Impossible To Decide In Most Instances The Extent And Population Of Many
Places Which Were Honoured With The Appellation Of Cities.
Ancient Italy is
said to have contained 1197, Gaul 1200, of which many, such as Marseilles,
Narbonne, Lyons, &c. were large and flourishing; Spain 300, Africa 300, and
Asia Proper 500, of which many were very populous.
2. All these cities were connected with one another and with Rome itself by
means of the public highways: these issuing from the forum, traversed
Italy, pervaded the provinces, and were terminated only by the frontiers of
the empire. The great chain of communication formed by means of them from
the extreme north-west limit of the empire, through Rome to the south-east
limit, was in length nearly 4000 miles. These roads were formed in the most
substantial manner, and with astonishing labour and expence; they were
raised so as to command a prospect of the adjacent country; on each side
was a row of large stones for foot passengers. The miles were reckoned from
the gates of the city and marked on stones: at shorter distances there were
stones for travellers to rest on, or to assist those who wished to mount
their horses: there were cross roads from the principal roads. The care and
management of all the roads were entrusted only to men of the highest rank.
Augustus himself took charge of those near Rome, and appointed two men of
praetorian rank to pave the roads:
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