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Milliarium facts for kids

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A copy of a Millarium
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Close up of another millarium

A milliarium (say "mill-ee-ARE-ee-um") was a special stone used by the Romans. These stones were placed along roads built by the Romans. They started using them around 300 BC. Milliaria helped people know distances. They were usually placed every Roman mile. One Roman mile was about 1,000 "milia passum," which is about 1.5 kilometers (or 0.9 miles). In some areas, like the Celtic provinces, they used "leagues" instead. A league was about 1,500 "milia passum," or about 2.2 kilometers (or 1.4 miles).

What Were Milliaria?

Milliaria were tall stone pillars. They were like early versions of road signs. But they did more than just show distance. They also showed who was in charge.

What Information Did They Show?

Milliaria often had important information carved into them:

  • The name of the Emperor or person who built or fixed the road. They would also list all their important titles.
  • The distance from a starting point. This could be the capital city or another big town. Sometimes, the stone showed the distance to a larger settlement nearby.

More Than Just Signs

Even though milliaria look like modern road signs, their main purpose might have been different. They probably weren't just for helping travelers find their way. It's more likely they were used to show the power of the person who put them there. Some were even used for propaganda. This means they helped spread messages about the emperor's greatness.

Interestingly, the words on the stones were often in two languages. The emperor's name and titles were usually in Latin. But the distance information was often in Greek. Most ordinary people could probably read the Greek part, but not the Latin. Today, we know about 7,000 to 8,000 of these ancient stones.

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Milliarium Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.