The Roman transport network: a precedent for the integration of the European mobility ✩,✩✩ CÈSAR CARRERAS a , PAU DE SOTO b a Departament de CC. de l’Antiguitat i l’Edat Mitjana. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona b Centro Superior de Inverstigaciones Científica (CSIC) Instituto de Arqueología de Mérida Abstract In the last years, the use of geographical information systems has been common in many historical and geographical studies. Perhaps one of the least known applications is network analysis, a series of functions related to hydrology and mobility. Since 1994, researchers have used network analyses to understand costs and time expenditure in transportation in Roman times, with the aim of modeling commercial routes. Archaeological objects were employed to confirm those commercial distributions whose quantities were related basically to transport costs. The present articles go far beyond and attempt to understand decisions in building a transport network based on time series. It seems that not all Roman decisions in transport infrastructure were due to economic reasons; some parts of Roman roads were built basically for political reasons and affected later developments. Keywords: costs, GIS, network analyses, roads, Roman, time series, transport People normally identify the Roman Empire as a huge political extension covering parts of three continents cen- tred in the Mediterranean basin. It covered half Europe from the Western Atlantic coasts up to Rhine and Danube rivers and all the Balkans and Greece. Besides, its bor- ders reached the Near East up to the river Euphrates and the whole Northern African coastal strip and Egypt. Such extension of land could not be rule without a sophistica- ted transport infrastructure and developed courier public system (Chevalier, 1976; Eck, 1979; Kolb, 2000). Therefore, the Roman Empire as a political project could not have carried on without a well planned mobility system, which fostered economic exchange and informa- tion transference. Notwithstanding the temporal distance, the Roman Empire constitutes an excellent example for the integration of European mobility. Moreover, the Roman road network was the first inland transport network in Europe and the basis of most national road systems in the European nations over centuries up to the present. The first Roman road layout was designed to favor contact between Roman citizens and colonies in the way that they first built up road infrastructures, and later cities were founded. Perhaps people still believe that Roman roads were built after cities foundation, but in fact it was the other way around. ✩ Published in HISTORICAL METHODS, July September 2013, Volume 46, Number 3, Pages 117-133 ✩✩ Pre-print version submitted by the authors As happens with any other land transport infrastructu- re, it was the economic success that developed the urban foundation and condemned some others. Actually, it is the closest precedent of how transport network affects urbani- zation in the same way that were effects by other transport infrastructures such as railways. The uniqueness of the Roman road network as well as its layout continuity over the centuries made compulsory referring and comparing to it in any serious study on the history of land transport in Europe. Perhaps people still believe that Train a Grand Vitesse has an original layout, but their main railways still followed the basic Roman rou- tes designed more than 2,000 years ago. Roman transport infrastructures When anyone refers to Roman transport infrastructures, normally people think about Roman roads. The Roman Empire was the first political European entity that built a complete road system linking different parts of its terri- tory. The reason of such important investment in terms of money and labour was facilitating army movement around the Empire as well as an effective control of all conquered territories. It was not an original policy; in fact the Persian Empire (Vth c. BC) and the Macedonian kingdom (IVth c. BC) had already created a sophisticated road network for identical aims. As usual, Romans made an outstanding imitation that overcame the original model. However, they paid even more attention to other means of transport such as maritime and river navigation, since 1