History - Italy - page 1766

As the Empire grew, so did its ancient system of 'motorways'. With the roads came oth-
er bright concepts - postal services and wayside inns. Messages could be shot around the
Empire in a matter of days or weeks by sending dispatch riders. At ancient 'truck stops',
the riders would change mounts, have a bite and continue on their way (a more efficient
system than many modern European postal systems).
By the second half of the 2nd century BC, Rome was the most important city in the
Mediterranean, with a population of 300,000. Most were lower-class freedmen or slaves
living in often precarious conditions. Tenement housing blocks (mostly of brick and
wood) were raised alongside vast monuments. One of the latter was the Circus Flaminius,
stage of some of the spectacular games held each year. These became increasingly import-
ant events for the people of Rome, who flocked to see gladiators and wild beasts in com-
bat.
For more on the history of Fascist Italy, see www.thecorner.org/home.htm . Here you can trace
Mussolini's rise to power and the tumultuous years of his rule.