All roads lead to Rome

Meaning: There are many ways to reach the same goal.

Origin: The medieval theologian Alain de Lille wrote around 1175 that a thousand roads lead men forever to Rome. Chaucer's Treatise on the Astrolabe (1391) says that various paths lead folk the right way to Rome. The Roman road network, all radiating from the capital, gave the image its force.

Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and Italian

  • French: Tous les chemins mènent à Rome (literally: All roads lead to Rome)
  • Spanish: Todos los caminos llevan a Roma (literally: All roads lead to Rome)
  • Japanese: 全ての道はローマに通ず (Subete no michi wa Rōma ni tsūzu) (literally: All roads lead to Rome)
  • German: Alle Wege führen nach Rom (literally: All roads lead to Rome)
  • Italian: Tutte le strade conducono a Roma (literally: All roads lead to Rome)

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