ABSTRACT
Their roads were renowned for their straightness but they were only straight in most cases between one hill top and another, i.e. as far as the eye could see. There is less chance of ambush on a straight road and the use of fourwheeled wagons posed no problems. (They had not learnt to pivot the front axle.)
Roman roads were generally constructed well above the ground level, being in some cases on embankments up to 2 m high. The first operation was to cut deep ditches or fosses (hence Fosseway) and then build up an embankment with layers of chalk, flint, sand and gravel topped off with huge stone slabs. Any marauder would have to cross the ditches and scramble up the embankment first.
