Throughout its existence, mankind has used different materials for paving roads: rammed soil, wood, sandstone, granite - but from that time to the present day, roads have remained, the material for the construction of which was precisely granite. This is evidenced by the historical materials found by us.
The road to the pyramid of Pharaoh Sakhura (3rd millennium BC)
The construction of roads from stone begins with the emergence of states. The oldest road discovered in Egypt has come down to us. It was laid to the site of the construction of the pyramid of Pharaoh Sakhura (III millennium BC). The roadbed is approx. 4 m was built from stone blocks laid transversely. Massive sleds pulled by bulls transported multi-ton stone blocks along it. These scenes are depicted in detail on the paintings inside the pyramids. In particular, it is shown how the road is sprinkled with water to reduce friction.
Inca road to Machu Picchu
In America, a developed road network, the total length of which was 16 thousand kilometers, was built by the Incas. The Inca roads covered the entire empire, located on the territory of modern Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. The roads connected the centers of the provinces, and the main ones intersected in the city of Cuzco. The length of the longest road was 6600 kilometers. On each road, inns were built at regular intervals, and poles indicating distances were also installed on the roads.
In the states of the ancient world, the construction of roads was of great importance because of the need to carry out conquests and organize trade. Paved roads existed in the Hittite kingdom, Assyria, and the Achaemenid Empire. As part of the Assyrian army, there were special units involved in the construction of bridges and leveling roads for war chariots. In the Achaemenid Empire, Darius I built the royal road from Ephesus to Sardis and Susa, 2600 kilometers long. On the royal road, road markers were installed indicating distances, stations with hotels at a distance of a day's march, stables for changing horses, food depots and garrisons.
The ancient states of the period of antiquity also paid attention to the construction of roads and their safety. The duty of each of the numerous states of ancient Greece was the construction of roads. Roads of standard width (approx. 3 m) were laid on stony soil, carving entire sections in the rocks. Roads were considered as inviolable as temples. In the "History" of Herodotus, the royal road, laid by the Persian rulers in the 6th century, is described. BC. from the city of Sardis in western Asia Minor to Susa in southwestern Iran. Its length was approx. 2400 km. At regular intervals, stations with inns were built, and at strategic points, such as river crossings, there were military posts and fortified gates.
Appian Way on the territory of the ancient city of Minturno, Roman Empire
In the Northern Black Sea region, on the territory of modern Russia and Ukraine, there were numerous ancient Greek cities. Their inhabitants owned the technology of road construction, which can be judged by the city streets paved with stone discovered by archaeologists (the cities of Panticapaeum - modern Kerch, Gorgippia - Anapa, Phanagoria and Germonassa on the Taman Peninsula, etc.). The streets were paved with stone slabs laid dry without mortar, the alleys were paved with rubble and shards of broken vessels. Gutters and water pipes lined with stone ran along the streets, and wells were built at intersections, also lined with stone slabs.
The most ancient roads of Rome include the Appian Way (312-244 BC) and the Flaminian Way (220 BC).
Roman roads were built to increase the speed of movement of troops and trade caravans. The road network in Rome grew along with the growth of the empire itself: after the conquest of new territories to Rome, the construction of a main road by the legionnaires began, connecting the new province with the capital of the empire.
Paved Roman road in Herculaneum.
The construction of such roads was carried out with state money, as well as with the money of the residents of cities and the owners of the land along which the road passed. Each trunk road was named either after the censor who built or repaired it, or after the destination area. In the future, the road network in this province developed through the efforts of Roman citizens who received allotments and, in the process of colonization, created local roads adjacent to the main one.
Roman road in Pompeii.
On Roman roads there were miles stones or milliaria - cylindrical stone pillars 1.5 to 4 meters high and 50 to 80 centimeters in diameter, which indicated the distance to Rome and the name of the emperor. The mass of such pillars reached two tons. The golden milliarius, from which the distance to all others was measured, was installed by the emperor Octavian Augustus at the temple of Saturn in the Roman forum.
The collapse of the Roman Empire in the 4th century AD under the blows of barbarian tribes and the onset of the Middle Ages meant the loss of many achievements of civilization, including the destruction of the road network. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the road network in Europe fell into disrepair.
The resurgence of road construction in Europe is mainly associated with the formation of absolute monarchy states, whose rulers needed roads for effective centralized government. Initially, the restoration of Roman roads was carried out, connecting their surviving sections, then they moved on to the construction of new ones.
At the end of the 18th century, in Western Europe, pakagezh began to be used for paving - stones in the form of a truncated pyramid, which were installed close to each other with the base of the cone on a soil and sand base.
With the advent of new technologies, granite began to be given more optimal forms for the convenience of paving roads. This is how granite paving stones appeared. Coating using granite paving stones has become very popular in all countries. Taking into account the practicality, pavement coatings are widely used to this day, especially in residential areas, parks, squares, squares, household plots. Granite paving stones have found wide application in the field of design. This material is used with great success where there are stringent requirements for durability and environmental friendliness.
The "royal road" from Sardis to Susa with an access road from Ephesus to Sardis was the main equestrian highway of the Persian state, connecting the royal residence, located east of Mesopotamia, with the Aegean coast of Asia Minor.50. ... From the Sea of Ionians to the king of the Persians ... this distance is equal to three months of travel.
52. ... This path is as follows: along its entire length there are royal camps with excellent living quarters, and it passes from beginning to end through a country inhabited and safe. Throughout Lydia and Phrygia, that is, on ninety-four and a half parasangas, there are twenty such stations. From Phrygia the path leads to the river Halys, at which there are gates, and near them a vast fortification; passing through the gate is necessary in order to cross the river. During the next Cappadocia to the borders of Cilicia, which is one hundred and four parasangs, there are twenty-eight stations; within these limits, it is necessary to pass two gates and pass two fortifications. On the way through Cilicia in fifteen and a half parasangs there are three stations. The border between Cilicia and Armenia is formed by the river Euphrates, navigable for ships. In Armenia there are fifteen camps with living quarters for fifty-six and a half parasangs; there is also a fortification. On the way from Armenia to Matiena we find thirty-four
parking for one hundred and thirty-seven parasangs. Through this region flow four rivers navigable for ships, and all must be crossed. The first of these rivers is the Tigris; the second and third have the same name, but they are not the same river, and they do not flow from the same locality, because one of them flows from Armenia, and the other from Matiena. The fourth river is called the Ginda; once Cyrus divided it into three hundred and sixty channels. From here the passage to Kissia, where there are eleven stations for forty-two and a half parasangs, to the river Hoaspa, also navigable for ships. The city of Susa is located on this river. So, all stations are one hundred and eleven, and the same number of dwellings are located on the way from Sardis to Susa.
According to the exact measurement of parasangs and when determining one parasang of thirty stadia, which it really equals, the royal path from Sardis to the royal castle, called Memnon, contains thirteen thousand five hundred stadia or four hundred and fifty parasangs. If one hundred and fifty stadia are taken for each day, then exactly ninety days are required for the whole journey.
... To the aforementioned road, one should add the path from Ephesus to Sardis: in total from the Hellenic Sea to Susa, to the so-called Memnon city, fourteen thousand and forty stages. Indeed, from Ephesus to Sardis there are five hundred and forty stadia, whereby the journey of three months is lengthened by another three days.
Herodotus, History, vol. II. Transl. F. G. Mishchenko.
Source: BV Sharykin.. The ancient world. Teaching aid for seminars on ancient history. Compiled by B.V. Sharykin. - Tula: TulGU Publishing House. 2006. - 313 p. 2006(original)
More on the topic 3. Description of the royal road (Herodotus, History V, § 50, 52, 53, 54):
- 1. Organization of the Persian state (Herodotus. History III, § 89-97).
- instead of a conclusion. PARADOXES OF THE "FATHER OF HISTORY": HERODOTUS - RESEARCHER OF ARCHAIC AND CLASSICAL GREECE1
Plan
Introduction
1 Description
2 Length
3 The royal road as a metaphor
Introduction
The Royal Road is a paved road known from the works of Herodotus, built by the Persian king Darius I in the 5th century BC.
1. Description
The fifth and eighth books of the History of Herodotus describe the length of the road that connected the distant parts of the Achaemenid state. Pointing out which cities it passed through, the historian admiringly describes the structure of the Persian postal service and the speed with which the messengers of Darius moved:
There is nothing in the world faster than these messengers: the Persians have such a clever postal service! They say that throughout the whole journey they have horses and people arranged, so that for each day of the journey there is a special horse and person. Neither snow, nor downpour, nor heat, nor even the night time can prevent each rider from galloping at full speed for the designated segment of the path. The first messenger conveys the news to the second, and the latter to the third. And so the message passes from hand to hand until it reaches the goal, like torches at the Hellenic feast in honor of Hephaestus. The Persians call this equestrian mail "angareion".
2. Length
The length of the Royal Road is reconstructed according to Herodotus, other historical evidence and archaeological data. It started in Sardis (about 90 km east of the modern city of Izmir in Turkey) and ran east to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh (today's Mosul in Iraq). Then, as it is believed, it was divided into two parts: one led to the east, through Ecbatana to the Silk Road, the other - to the south and southeast, to Susa and Persepolis.
Since the Royal Road was not laid along the most convenient route that could connect the largest Persian cities, historians believe that sections of roads laid by the Assyrian kings were used during the construction. In the east, it practically merges with the Silk Road.
The quality of the paved road was so high that it continued to be used at least until the Roman era; in the Turkish city of Diyarbakir, a bridge rebuilt by the Romans, which was part of the Royal Road, has been preserved. Its construction contributed to the flourishing of Persian trade, which reached its peak during the time of Alexander the Great.
3. Royal road as a metaphor
The expression “royal road” or “royal path” became a catch phrase in antiquity, denoting the fastest, easiest and most reasonable way to achieve something. The phrase of Euclid, addressed to the Egyptian king Ptolemy, who wanted to learn the sciences, is famous: “There are no royal roads in geometry!”. Freud spoke of dreams as "the royal road to the unconscious."
In Christian theology, the expression "royal way" has been used as a metaphor for moderation. An excerpt from an article by Hieromonk Seraphim Rose:
“The doctrine of this “royal path” is explained by St. Basil the Great: “He is right in heart, whose thought does not deviate either into excess or into deficiency, but is directed only towards the middle of virtue.” But, perhaps, this teaching was most clearly expounded by the great Orthodox father of the 5th century, St. John Cassian. He faced a task similar to the one facing Orthodoxy today: to expound the pure teaching of the Eastern Fathers to the peoples of the West, who were then spiritually immature and did not yet understand the depth and subtlety of the spiritual teaching of the Orthodox East. In applying this teaching to life, they tended either to be relaxed or too strict. St. Cassian expounds the Orthodox teaching on the “royal path” in his discourse “On Sobriety”: “With all our strength and with all the effort, we must strive to acquire, through humility, the good gift of sobriety, which can keep us intact from excess on both sides. . For, as the fathers say, extremes exist on both sides - on the right there is a danger of being deceived by excessive abstinence, and on the left - to be carried away into carelessness and relaxation. And the temptation from the “right” is even more dangerous than from the “left”. “Excessive abstinence is more harmful than saturation, because through repentance one can pass from the latter to a correct understanding, but not from the former” (that is, because pride in one’s “virtue” stands in the way of repentant humility, which can serve the cause of salvation).
John Cassian, in his teaching on the royal path, speaks of overstressed preservation of oneself from excessive abstinence and relaxation, but then the royal path began to mean moderation among the Orthodox, which can hardly be distinguished from lukewarmness.
