Amiliarium (Classical Latin:[miːllɪˈaːrɪ.ũːˈau̯rɛ.ũː]) was a cylindrical, oval or parallelepipedcolumn placed on the edge ofRoman roads to mark the distances every thousandpassus (double Roman steps), that is, everymile.[1] Today, this is equivalent to a distance of approximately 1480 meters.[1] The stone known as theMilliarium Aureum was the point used to indicate the distance toRome from any point in theRoman Empire.[2]
These physical markers of distance corresponded to the abstract route descriptions found in Romanitinerarium, which were text-based lists of cities, stops, and the distances between them.
The columns were made ofgranite,marble or whatever local stone was available. Each had a cubic or squarepedestal and measured between 6.6 to 13.1 feet (2.0 to 4.0 m), with a diameter of 19.5 to 31.5 inches (50 to 80 cm).[citation needed] Miliarium were widely used byRoman road builders and were an important part of anyroad network. In those times, the distance that could be travelled each day was sometimes only a few miles. Many miliaria only record the name of the reigning emperor without giving any place names or distances.[3] The first known miliaria appeared on theAppian Way during the final period of theRoman Republic, but the vast majority of those that still exist were made during the High Empire and, to a lesser extent, in the3rd and4th centuries.[4]
Most of the milestones carried directly engraved inscriptions, depending on the importance of the road or the proximity or distance from Rome, or the cities of origin and destination. The inscription always consisted of a series of well-defined parts:[5]
In the4th century, the milestones lost their usefulness as mileposts, becoming an element of political propaganda for the emperors.[citation needed]
In theWestern Roman Empire, the last miliaria were made at the time of the emperorsTheodosius I andHonorius. With the barbarian invasions and theFall of the Western Roman Empire, they ceased to be carved when the maintenance of the roads disappeared.[citation needed] In theEastern Roman Empire, the roads continued to be maintained until the6th century, although the miliaria became increasingly rare until they were no longer erected. Being written in Latin, they lost their functionality among a population that spoke mainly Greek.[citation needed]
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