>>11228803A big part of Roman engineering was that its elites felt a definitive sense of ownership over space. I mean that literally, a Patrician was essentially a small king who was lord and master over a patch of space, with the legal right to just outright execute anyone on that patch of space that he pleased. Romans as a whole had this idea that a Roman as just allowed to do whatever he wanted as long as it benefited Rome and his society as a whole would back him up. You see Romans just want to put down a road between two spaces, for some utilitarian purpose or just for shits and giggles, and the government just fucking does it, in many instances actually putting the guy in charge of it because he clearly knew the area best.
Can you imagine that? A government not only acting in its people's interest, but even giving a shit what they personally want? I genuinely cannot.
