brokenix, 9 days ago

@mythologyandhistory won't they be slippery during the rains ?

mythologyandhistory, 9 days ago

@brokenix

Not sure, but they are very small compared to the main large paving stones, so I guess it may not matter?

Bender, 10 days ago

@mythologyandhistory
Genius!! As a recent Master of Landscape Architecture graduate (this past Friday), I'm stealing this idea. And also sharing with my school-mates. Thanks ancient Pompeii!

mythologyandhistory, 10 days ago

@Bender

Congrats on the graduation :D

martinlorcher, 10 days ago

@mythologyandhistory So the Romans must have had a much more efficient management of horseshit on their streets than NYC had by the end of 1900? When covered with mud, these marble "reflectors" would have been useless.
https://johnmjennings.com/the-great-manure-crisis-of-1894/

martinlorcher, 10 days ago

@mythologyandhistory And, according to the article, the marble stones reflected light from torches. That makes more sense than the moon.

mythologyandhistory, 10 days ago

@martinlorcher

Thanks for the link!

Actually, during the Roman era, the moon made more sense than torches. Some of those roads would be in the sticks.

Although, not all Roman roads had those cats eyes (in fact, probably not most of them).

Roman roads that were considered "great", i.e. connecting important places & usually recognisable by being named after someone (like the Appian Way), had an 'Aedile', a person to make sure manure, human waste & co would be reasonably in check.

Deus, 10 days ago

@mythologyandhistory Now I'm wondering if those emergency floor path illuminations in airliners are 'insipired' from this. Who knows!

mythologyandhistory, 10 days ago

@Deus

I haven't the foggiest, but now I hope so!

666k9s, 10 days ago

@mythologyandhistory I did not know that.

NatureMC, 10 days ago (edited 10 days ago)

@mythologyandhistory Must have been a special road? Here in Gallia, they didn't do it. Asterix and Obelix grumble

Pompei must have been special, they even had crosswalks: https://engineeringrome.org/public-spaces-learning-from-ostia-antica-and-pompei/

glent, 10 days ago

@NatureMC @mythologyandhistory It was a big tourist town and had public spaces to match that need.

NatureMC, 10 days ago

@glent And the material. Here in my region, Roman roads e.g. were made from reddish sandstones, the material of our mountains.

@mythologyandhistory