Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/1316

 1292 VIA APPIA. is evidently the station Ad lIedias of the Jerusalem Itinerary. A short distance from Terracina the Via Appia at length deviated from the direction it had so long pursued, and turning to the left as- cended the steep hill on which the ancient city stood [Tarracina], while the modern road is carried round the foot of this hill, close to the sea. The distance of Tarracina from Rome is correctly given at 61 miles in the Antonine Itinerary. From Terracina the line of the ancient road may still be traced distinctly all the way to Fondi, and is flanked by ruins of villas, dilapidated tombs, &c., through a great part of its course. It first as- cended the hill above the city as far as the convent of Scm Francesco, and afterwards descended into the valley beneath, joining the modern highroad from Rome to Naples about 3 miles from Terracina, just before crossing the frontier of the Papal States. The narrow pass at the foot of the mountains, which the road here follows, between the rocks and the marshy lake of Fondi, is the celebrated defile of Lautulae, or Ad Lautulas, which more than once bears a conspicuous part in Roman history. [Lau- tulae.] The distance from Tarracina to Fundi is overstated in the Antonine Itinerary: the true distance does not exceed 13 miles, as correctly given in the Jerusalem Itinerary. From Fundi to For- miae (Mola di Gaeta'), a distance of 13 miles, the road passed through a rugged and mountainous country, crossing a complete mountain pass: the substructions of the ancient way are in many places still visible, as well as portions of the pavement, and numerous ruins of buildings, for the most part of little interest. The bridges also are in se- veral instances the ancient ones, or at least rest upon ancient substructions. The ruins of Formiaeand of the numerous villas with which it was adorned line the shores at Mola di Gaeta, and bound the road for a space of more than 2 miles: other ruins, prin- cipally sepulchral, are scattered along its line al- most all the way thence to Mijjturnae. The ruins of this latter city stand on the right bank of the Liris {Garif/liano), a short distance from its mouth, and about a mile and a half below the village of Traghetto. The line of the ancient road from Mola thither is clearly traced and susceptible of no doubt: the distance is correctly given as 9 miles. Here the Via Appia crossed the Liris, and was con- tinued nearly in a straight line through a level and marshy district along the sea-coast to Sinuessa, the ruins of which are found near the village of Mun- dragone. The distance of 9 miles between the two (given in both Itineraries) is somewhat less than the truth. It was at Sinuessa that the Appian Way finally quitted the coast of the Tyrrhenian sea (Strab. V. p. 233), and struck inland towards Ca- pua, passing by the stations of Pons Campanus and Ad Octavum. But this part of its course has not been very distinctly traced, and there is some diffi- culty as to the distances given. The three sub- divisions of the Jerasalem Itinerary would give 26 miles for the total distance from Sinuessa to Capua; and the coincidence of this sum with the statement of the Antonine Itinerary, as given by Wesseling, is a strong argument in favour of the reading sxvi. M. P. instead of xvi. adopted by Pinder. The latter number is certainly too small, for the direct distance between the two points is not less than 21 miles, and the road must have deviated from the straight ine on account of the occurrence of the marshes of he Savo, as well as of the river Vulturnus. It is VIA APPIA. probable, therefore, that it made a considerable bend, and that the distance was thus prolonged: but the question cannot be settled until this part of the road has been more accural-ely traced than has hitherto been done. The distances given in the Tabula are too inaccurate to be of any use; but it appears probable from that document that the Pons Campanus was a bridge over the little river Savo, and not, as might have been suspected, over the Vul- turnus, which the Appian Way did not cross till it arrived at Casilinum, 3 miles from Capua. It was here that it united with the Via Latina. (Strab. V. p. 237; Tah. Pent.) The total distance from Rome to Capua (if we adopt 26 miles as that from Sinuessa) was therefore 131 miles. This portion of the Via Appia as far as Jlinturnae has been traced with much care by Westphal {Ronmche Kampagne, pp. 22 — 70), as well as by Chaupy (^Maison dHorace, vol. iii. pp. 365 — 461) and Sir R. Huare {Classical Tour, vol. i. pp. 81 — 148); but all these accounts are de- ficient in regard to the portion between Minturnae and Capua. Several minor branches or cross lines parted from the Via Appia during this first portion of its course. Of these it may suffice to mention : 1. The Via Ardeatina, which quitted the Via Appia at a short distance beyond the Almo, just after passing the Osteria dell' Acquataccio: it proceeded in a nearly straight line to Ardea, 23 miles from Rome. [Ar- dea.] 2. The Via Antiatina, which branched off from the Appian Way just before reaching Bovillae, and proceeded direct to Antium, 38 miles from Rome. It probably followed nearly the same line as the modern road, but its precise course has not been traced. 3. The Via Setina quitted the Appian Way, shortly after passing Trepontium, and proceeded in a direct line to Setia (Sezze) : consi- derable portions of the ancient pavement still re- main. 4. A branch road, the name of which is un- known, diverged from the Via Appia at Minturnae, and proceeded to Teanum (18 miles distant) on the Via Latina, whence it was continued through Allifae and Telesia to Beneventum. [Via Latina.] 5. The Via Domitiana, constructed by the em- peror of that name, of which Statins has left us a pompous description. (^Silv. iv. 3.) It was a con- tinuation of the coast-road from Sinuessa, being carried across the Vulturnus close to its mouth by a bridge which must really have been a work of great difficulty ; thence it followed closely the line of coast as far as Cumae, whence it struck across to Puteoli. The road communicating between that city and Neapolis was previously in existence. The distances on this road, as given in the Antonine Itinerary (p. 122), are: — From Sinuessa to Liternum xxiv. m. r. (this must be a mistake for xiv.) thence to Cumae - vi. Puteoli - iii. Neapolis - x. There was also a direct road from Capua to Neapo- lis {Tah. Pent.'), passing through Atella, which was midway between the two cities. 2. From Capua to Beneventum. This portion of the road may be very briefly dis- posed of. From Ciipua it was continued along in the plain as far as Calatia, the site of which is fixed at Le Galazze, near Maddaloni ; it then entered the Apennines, and, passing through the valley of Arienzo, commonly supposed to be the celebrated