meaning and origin of the saying all roads lead to rome
Meaning and Origin of the Saying 'All Roads Lead to Rome'
The ancient Romans built an amazing network of roads everywhere they went, such that roads from every city eventually led back to Rome. This gave rise to the famous saying 'All roads lead to Rome', which simply means that there are different paths and ways to reach the same goal. This Buzzle article delves into the meaning and origin of this popular saying.
Did You Know?
The idiom 'all roads lead to Rome' has been in use since the 11th century, which is based on the excellent road system where all the roads from different provinces did lead to Rome.Meaning
According to the Cambridge dictionary, this idiom means, all the methods of doing something will achieve the same result in the end. This saying can be interpreted in many ways.
- The literal meaning is, no matter what path you take, you will end up at the same destination.
- All paths will lead to the same goal.
- All paths or activities lead to the center of things.
- There are many different routes to the same goal.
- Many different methods will produce the same result.
- "I don't care whether you save and then send the file, mail it, or take a printout, and then give it to me; all roads lead to Rome." This means that the concerned person will get the required file, no matter in which way it is given.
- A: I can't figure this math problem out your way. Can I try another way that I've been taught? B: By all means. After all, all roads lead to Rome.
Origin
This phrase takes its origin from the intricate road system that was built by the Romans. This explains the use of this phrase dating back to the 11th century. Since the Romans controlled an important portion of the world during ancient times, they also have many achievements up their sleeves, with an interconnecting set of roads being one of them. The roads were made such that, all the roads from every province in the Empire led them directly to the city Rome. This made it convenient for them to connect with the provinces easily, and they could also keep a watch on the other parts of the Empire. It also sped up communication and made travel easy for them in the pre-motorized era. This spectacular system of roads had such an effect, that it led to inspire a phrase that is still being used today. 'All roads lead to Rome' now has taken a figurative meaning.
It is believed that this phrase was first recorded in writing in 1175 by Alian de Lille who was a French theologian and poet. It appears in his writing in the form Mille viae ducunt homines per saecula Romam (A thousand roads lead men forever to Rome) in Liber Parabolarum.
According to Schaaf, the phrase is a reference to the Milliarium Aureum (also known as Golden Milestone), as the specific point to which all roads were said to lead. The roads in Rome originated from this point, like the spokes of a wheel.