Crazy Ivan
Carpe Jugulum
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If we are being specific to Romans, then most would have been built by legions. Which in reality was a type of slave labor. The poor and unfortunate sent off to die with the promise of land or glory if they are successful in their conquest. The Legions lived and died by their generals and/or consul who had the ultimate power and decided what legionaries received retribution and who didn’t. The roads were built primarily for Roman military conquest.
However almost anything dealing with specifics of the Roman Empire is a generalization when spread over its existence. As it lasted so long and the early Roman Empire was much different than that of post Pompey/Caesar.
This is true. Legionnaires were expected to be construction workers as they had to build defensive fortifications whenever the legions camped, and especially in Gaul, if the Romans laid siege, they would build a fortified wall around the city to keep the besieged from sallying out and attacking the Romans, and then build a second wall behind the legions to protect from an enemy trying to relieve the besieged city. And they could build those walls in impressive time.