miliari

Miliari, singular miliarium, are the milestones that marked distances along the roads of the Roman Empire. They functioned as official distance markers, typically indicating how far a traveler was from a defined origin—often Rome or the start point of a road—and sometimes naming the road, the governor, or the province responsible for maintenance.

Most miliari were carved from marble or limestone and erected as upright posts or embedded stones. Inscriptions usually recorded the distance in miles (milia passuum) and could include the direction, the emperors or municipal authorities who commissioned the marker, and occasionally a dedication or restoration date.

The system used Roman miles, where one mile equals 1,000 paces, about 1,480 meters. Distances on miliari thus provided a practical framework for the road network, aiding administration, taxation, and travel planning. The signs varied in format, but shared the goal of making long-distance travel and imperial control more legible across diverse terrains.

The distribution extended across the Empire, from Italy and Gaul to Hispania, North Africa, and the eastern provinces. The most famous example is the Milliarium Aureum, or Golden Milestone, in the Forum Romanum, erected by Augustus as the central point from which distances were measured. Many miliari survive as archaeological finds, while others are known only from inscriptions or have been repurposed in later construction.

Today miliari are valuable for the study of Roman geography and infrastructure, illustrating how authorities organized long-distance travel and road maintenance. They remain among the most tangible remnants of the transport network that connected regions of the ancient world.