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Roads to Empire: on roadbuilding traditions in ancient Rome and early China

  • Jordan Thomas Christopher EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: May 20, 2025
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Abstract

This article examines the development of road networks in Roman and early Chinese imperial contexts, analyzing the role of political ideology and cultural frameworks in shaping infrastructure. It argues that Roman roadbuilding, deeply intertwined with notions of public participation and republicanism, developed into a system where roads symbolized power and facilitated state control. Early Imperial China saw similar approaches to roads with a few stark contrasts. These included a greater restriction of access and usage, and a more equivocal stance on the ethics of road construction, with roadbuilding becoming less emphasized in favor of waterways and hydraulic engineering in the Han period, reflecting a different mode of territorial management and imperial ideology. This study highlights key structural and ideological divergences in the two civilizations' approaches to infrastructure. The Roman 'hodological' worldview contrasts with the broader territorial understanding evident in early Chinese cartographical and hydraulic initiatives. By offering a comparative analysis, this paper provides a foundation for further inquiry into the political and cultural dynamics of imperial roadbuilding.

Acknowledgement

For looking at earlier versions of this paper and providing essential critiques and suggestions, I would like to thank Jinhao Lei, Armin Selbitschka, Maxim Korolkov, Hans Beck, Griet Vankeerberghen, and Marian Helm for their aid in reading earlier versions of this paper and/or discussing concepts contained within and providing suggestions for improvement. I would also here like to thank my particularly helpful anonymous peer reviewer for the same.

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