Editing Roman roads (section)

===''Viae publicae, consulares, praetoriae'' and ''militares''===

The first type of road included public high or main roads, constructed and maintained at the public expense, and with their soil vested in the state. Such roads led either to the sea, to a town, to a public river (one with a constant flow), or to another public road. [[Siculus Flaccus]], who lived under Trajan (98–117), calls them ''viae publicae regalesque'',<ref name="SmithDictionaryAntiquities"/> and describes their characteristics as follows:
# They are placed under ''curatores'' ([[commissioner]]s), and repaired by ''redemptores'' ([[General contractor|contractor]]s) at the public expense; a fixed contribution, however, being levied from the neighboring landowners.<ref name="SmithDictionaryAntiquities"/>
# These roads bear the names of their constructors (e.g. [[Via Appia]], [[Via Cassia|Cassia]], [[Via Flaminia|Flaminia]]).<ref name="SmithDictionaryAntiquities"/>

Roman roads were named after the [[Roman censor|censor]] who had ordered their construction or reconstruction. The same person often served afterwards as consul, but the road name is dated to his term as censor. If the road was older than the office of censor or was of unknown origin, it was named for its destination or the region through which it mainly passed. A road was renamed if the censor ordered major work on it, such as paving, repaving, or rerouting. With the term ''viae regales'' compare the [[Royal Road|roads of the Persian kings]] (who probably organized the first system of public roads) and the [[King's Highway (ancient)|King's Highway]].<ref name="SmithDictionaryAntiquities"/> With the term ''viae militariae'' compare the Icknield Way (''Icen-hilde-weg'', or "War-way of the Iceni").<ref name="SmithDictionaryAntiquities"/>

There were many other people, besides special officials, who from time to time and for a variety of reasons sought to connect their names with a great public service like that of the roads.<ref name="SmithDictionaryAntiquities"/> [[Gaius Gracchus]], when Tribune of the People (123–122 BC), paved or gravelled many of the public roads and provided them with milestones and mounting-blocks for riders. [[Gaius Scribonius Curio (praetor 49 BC)|Gaius Scribonius Curio]], when Tribune (50 BC), sought popularity by introducing a [[Lex Viaria]], under which he was to be chief inspector or commissioner for five years. [[Dio Cassius]] mentions that the [[Second Triumvirate]] obliged the [[Roman Senate|Senators]] to repair the public roads at their own expense.