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The Romans built their roads in several layers: at the bottom was a base of large stones, above that finer gravel and sand, and on top lay a smooth layer of stone slabs or smaller stones. The roads were slightly arched so water could drain off, and there were often ditches on the sides for drainage. The system was really well thought out, which is why some Roman roads are partially still intact today.
Have you ever noticed how different old roads look from above - some are really straight, others wind around?
Here's the thing: they did it damn systematically. First the route was surveyed, then the ground was prepared - swamps or loose soil were dug out and compacted. Then came the layers, like the previous answer describes, but the key part was the compaction at every step. They didn't just throw stuff down; the workers stamped down each layer with stones and wooden hammers so nothing would shift. They also chose the material deliberately - larger stones at the bottom for stability, then increasingly finer material, so water could drain off and the road wouldn't get soggy.
What often gets overlooked: a lot of these roads also had a slight arch in the middle so rain would run off to the sides. And the edges? They usually had ditches or channels. Some stretches were covered with paving stones, others stayed as compacted gravel - depended on how important the route was and what resources were available locally. That's why some of these ancient roads still hold up today, while modern roads often need to be redone after a few decades.
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