How did the Romans build straight roads?

ROMAN ROAD

ENGLISH LATIN

CONSTRUCTION

C

D

Spear C into D

A

Groma

RULE, THEN RULE SOME MORE

© Roman Empire, Europe - 43BC

WHAT YOU WILL NEED EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL TRADING EMPIRE IN ENGLAND IS LISTED BELOW:

ALL PARTS CREATE THE GROMA 1X

1X

CORNICULI

FERRAMENTUM

5X

UMBILICIS COLI

1X

PLUMB LINES & WEIGHTS

2x FERRAMENTO

A MAJOR TOOL USED IN ROMAN SURVEYING, ESSENTIAL TO CREATING STRAIGHT ROADS

ROMAN RULE ENGLAND

1x

GROMATICI

2x

GROMA 200x SPADES AND TOOLS

1x ROMAN EMPIRE

WELL STRUCTURED EUROPEAN TRADING

1x

FERRAMENTO - IRON RODS STAND THAT VERTICAL FERRAMENTUM - IRON ROD WITH SPIKE UMBILICUS COLI - CENTRE OF GROMA CORNICULI - CROSS SHAPE OF WOOD FOR GROMA GROMATICI - GENERAL ROMAN SURVEYOR

43AD - ROMAN INVASION THE ROMANS FLOCK TO ENGLAND TO INVADE AND TRADE WITH EUROPE

land! to england!

EUROPEAN AS SOON AS THE ROMANS HIT THE SHORE OF ENGLAND THEY BEGAN TO RE-ESTABLISH THEIR

T R A D I N G

43AD - ROMAN PROGRESSION THE ROMANS MAKE THEIR WAY IN-LAND AND BEGIN TO FIND THE MOUNTAINOUS HILLS, ANGRY LOCALS AND RUBBISH PATHS

"this place has terrible paths"

L O N D O N

ge’ lost!

WHEN THE ROMANS WERE IN BRITANNIA THEY MADE THEIR WAY TO LONDON TO HEAD THE MAJORITY OF THEIR TRADING THERE, UPON THE TRAVEL THEY REALISED THAT THERE WERE NO ROADS AND ONLY UNDER-MAINTAINED PATHS THAT WERE COMPLETELY UNSUITABLE FOR THEIR OX-DRAWN CARTS SO THEY DECIDED TO

BEGIN SURVEYING FOR ROADS

THE TRADING EMPIRE BEGINS THE ROMANS BEGIN TO SURVEY AND PLAN FOR THE BUILDING OF ROADS TO AID TRADING THROUGH AND AROUND LONDON.

let’s trade here!

i love it!

LONDON

LOVED LONDON AS SOON AS THE ROMANS LAND THEY REALISED THAT THEY WERE IN THE IDEAL PLACE TO TRADE AND THAT THEY

AND THAT IT WOULD HELP PROSPER WITH IT’S RICH LAND AND STRONG CONNECTIONS TO EUROPE BUT THEY NEEDED TO BUILD ROADS TO AID THEIR TRADING, SO THIS IS WHERE THEY BEGAN, USING LONDON AS A CENTRE.

SURVEYING AND PLANNING SERIOUS SURVEYING GOT UNDERWAY WITH GROMATICI’S CLIMBING HILLS AND TRAVELLING TO FIND PLACES FOR THEIR ROADS

THIS’LL DO NICELY!

LINCOLN

EXETER

STANDING ON TOP OF HILL BY THE COAST, SURVEYORS REALISED THE PLACE THAT IT NOW EXETER WOULD BE IDEAL FOR A TRADING ROUTE NORTH AS THEY COULD ENGINEER IT TO TAKE FROM THE DOCK AND THROUGH LONDON. WITH THIS IN MIND THEY DECIDED TO START BUILDING A ROAD THAT WOULD LEAD THEM FROM

EXETER TO LINCOLN MAKING THIS THE FIRST ROAD THEM BUILD IN BRITAIN AND A MAJOR TRADING ROUTE FOR MANY YEARS.

PRACTICAL SURVEYING AFTER PLANNING THE ROUTE THE ROMANS WOULD SEND TWO SURVEYORS TO CHECK THE

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

ANOTHER? REALLY?

PERFECT!

THEY CLIMBED HILLS AND WALKED ROUTES THAT HAD BEEN PLANNED FOR THE ROADS, THE SURVEYORS WOULD WALK AROUND THE WHOLE AREA PLANNED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROAD TO CHECK IT.

HILLS AND HILLS AND HILLS

THEY WOULD CLIMB AND WALK WITH ONE SURVEYOR LEADING, AND ANOTHER CHECKING HIS MOVEMENTS AND MAKING SURE HE IS NOT MAKING ANY MISTAKES, GROMATICI’S WOULD OFTEN TAKE A SECOND OPINION TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WASN’T JUST ONE PERSON MAKING EVERYTHING INCORRECT

ROUTING AND GATHERING THE ROMANS WOULD PHYSICALLY PLAN AND GATHER BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY BUILD SO EVERYONE WAS SURE OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING

JUILIUS?

HERE!

TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE BUILDING WITH THE CORRECT THINGS AND IN THE CORRECT PLACES THEY WOULD MAKE MAPS, INVENTORIES AND START TO

GATHER TROOPS

CHECKING AND COLLECTION THE ROMANS WOULD CHECK THAT THEY HAD ALL THE TOOLS, MATERIALS AND CONDITIONS THEY NEED TO PROCEED

WHERE’S THAT GROMA ?

AH, WORKING PERFECTLY!

WH HIN

AT Y OU WIL

G THA T YOU

NEE

D TO BUIL

DA SUC

L TRA

DIN

G EMP IRE

IN ENG

LAN

& WE IGH TS

5X

L NE ED

D IS LIST

ED BEL OW:

ICIS COL I

1X

UMBIL

PLU MB LIN ES

FERR

AMEN

FERR

TUM

AMEN

TO

CES SFU

1X

2x

1X ICUL I

RYT

ALL

PART S

A MAJO R TOOL

USED

IN ROM

CREA TE TH E GR OMA

AN SURV

EYIN

CORN

EVE

2x

G, ESSE NTIA

L TO CREA TING

STRA

IGHT

ROAD

S

N RU LE EN GL

GROM AT

AND

ICI

1x

ES AN D TO OL

S

200x

SPAD

N EM PI

RE

1x

ROMA

WEL

L STR UCT

URE

D EUR OPE

ROMA

AN TRA

DIN

G

1x

GROM A

FERRAM FERRAM ENTO ENTUM- IRON UMB ILIC - IRO RODS STA US COR N NICULI COLI - CEN ROD WIT ND THAT GRO MAT ICI - CROSS SHATRE OF H SPIKE VERTICA GRO L GEN MA ERAL PE OF WOO ROM AN SUR D FOR VEYOR GROMA

THE ROMANS WOULD MAKE ALMOST A LIST OF WHAT THEY NEEDED AND THE PEOPLE THEY NEEDED

ORGANISATION BEFORE THEY STARTED ON ANYTHING, IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO KEEP THE BEST POSSIBLE

SET UP AND CORRECTION TO CORRECT THE UTENSILS THEY WOULD CHECK AND ALTER THEM TO ALMOST PERFECTION

THIS’LL KEEP YOU STILL

HMMMMM... ALMOST

IN CASES OF STRONG WEATHER THE SURVEYORS WOULD HAVE TO ADD OIL TO THE LINES OF THE GROMA TO SHOP THE SWAYING IN THE WIND; BUT WITHIN ALL CASES THEY WOULD HAVE TO CHECK THAT THE GROMA WAS SET CORRECTLY BEFORE STARTING ANY PHYSICAL

A STRAIGHT LINE PRODUCTION OF A ROAD. THE MAIN THING TO CHECK WOULD BE IF THE WEIGHTS WERE EVEN BECAUSE THIS WOULD DISPLAY PROOF OF

ALIGNING AND SLAUGHTER

ALIGNING TROOPS IN A GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE LINES OF THE GROMA WOULD BE A PRINCIPLE NEXT STEP, AND OFTEN DOING THIS BRITISH VILLAGERS WOULD PUT UP A FIGHT OR TRY TO STALL THE PROCESS.

FURTHER!

BLIMEY!

TO ALIGN THE ROAD CORRECTLY THE SURVEYORS WOULD SEND TROOPS IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE LINES ON THE GROMA, ABOUT 125 PACES BACK, USUALLY WHILE DOING THIS BRITISH VILLAGERS OR LOCAL PEOPLE WOULD RECOGNISE WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND ATTACK THE TROOPS IN WHICH TO STOP THEM FROM BEING ABLE TO CREATE THE ROAD, UNFORTUNATELY THIS WOULD OFTEN END IN THE VILLAGERS AND THEIR VILLAGE BEING

ATTACKED AND BURNT

PERFECTION IS KEY

ONCE A TROOP WAS STATIONED ABOUT 125 PACES BACK IN A GENERAL DIRECTION THEY WOULD HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE DIRECTLY IN-LINE, THEY WOULD HOLD A POST AND FOLLOW THE COMMANDS OF THE GROMATICI TO ALIGN THAT POST PERFECTLY.

HERE?

125 PACES!

THE GROMATICI WOULD ORDER THE TROOP TO CARRY THE POST AS HE MADE HIS 125 STEP (APROX.) MARCH IN LINE WITH THE GROMA, AT FIRST IT WOULD NOT BE THAT ACCURATE BUT USING COMMANDS SUCH AS “LEFT”, “RIGHT” AND”LOWER” TO GET THE POSTS INTO THE CORRECT PLACE, WHILST THE GROMATICI IS CONSTANTLY VIEWING DOWN THE LINES TO MAKE SURE THE TROOP IS

PERFECTLY STOOD IN-LINE

REPETITION IS KEY

AFTER YOU KNOW THAT THE FIRST POST IS CORRECTLY IN-LINE YOU CAN REPEAT, AND REPEAT AGAIN JUST MAKING SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS AS YOU GO, UNTIL 10 POSTS HAVE BEEN PLACED AND PLANTED.

AND ANOTHER...

125

ES PAC

125

ES PAC

125

ES PAC

REPEAT 10 TIMES

TO EFFECTIVELY POST MANY POSTS IN AS STRAIGHT A LINE AS POSSIBLE, THEY WOULD SECURE 10 POSTS AT A TIME, EACH ABOUT 15 PACES APART. THE GROMA MIGHT BE MOVED DEPENDING ON THE QUALITY OF THE EYE-SIGHT OF IT’S USER.

CHECKING AND DIGGING ONCE ALL THE POSTS WERE PLACED THE GROMATICI WOULD MOVE THE GROMA TO THE OPPOSITE END TO CHECK THE POSTS WERE

ACTUALLY IN A STRAIGHT LINE; ONCE THEY KNOW THE DEFINITE PATH OF THE ROAD THEY WOULD BEGIN DIGGING AND COLLECTING MATERIALS.

WE’LL NEED THAT KEEP HOLD OF IT

TO MAKE SURE THAT ONE USERS EYE-SIGHT WAS NOT INCORRECTLY PLACING THE THE POSTS FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF THE GROMA, THEY WOULD MOVE THE GROMA TO THE OTHER END AND HAVE SOMEONE CHECK THE ACCURACY OF THE POSTS. ONCE DEFINATE THEY WOULD COLLECT RUBBLE, GRAVEL, LIMESTONE AND MANY OTHER MATERIALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROAD; WHILST DIGGIN FOR THE

TRENCHES OF THE ROADS

FILLING AND FINISHING THE ROMAN IS ALMOST COMPLETE AND ALL THAT IS LEFT TO DO IT BUILD IT!

THE ROMANS WOULD USE THE MATERIALS THEY COLLECTED AND SOURCES TO START CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROAD, USING THEM IN LAYERS FOR STABILITY AND STRENGTH.

AND ANOTHER LEVEL

AND...

FLAT!

THE ROADS WOULD BE FILLED WITH ALL THE MATERIALS THAT WERE COLLECTED FROM THE SIDE OF THE TRENCH AND SOURCED FROM OTHER PLACES. THERE WOULD BE A VERY MINIMUM OF 3 LAYERS OF DIFFERENT STONE AND THESE WOULD OFTEN INCLUDE:

CHECK THE LEVEL BROKEN STONE, LIMESTONE, RUBBLE AND GRAVEL ALL FINISHED OF WITH FINAL PAVING SLABS ON TOP. THE FINAL SECTION WAS TO

JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS FLAT ENOUGH FOR USE, THIS WAS DONE WITH A CHOROBATES - WHICH WAS A VERY EARLY

SPIRIT LEVEL AND CAN BE SEEN IN THE FINAL PANEL. THIS WAS THE LAST THING TO DO AND WAS CARRIED OUT BY A GROMATICI

RULE, THEN RULE SOME MORE

VINCENT AND SOPHIE