All roads lead to Rome

At one time, of course, all roads built by the Romans led to Rome as the hub or centre of their empire. Roman roads were essential for both commerce and logistics throughout the Roman Empire. Long after the Roman Empire had disappeared, the expression started to be used figuratively to mean that there are many different ways to reach an objective or arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. This usage in English is first cited in Chaucer’s Treatise on the Astrolobe written in the 14th century.