Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/1321

 VIA CIMIXIA. . Th6 Via Cassia branched off from the Via Fla- minia just after crossing the Tiber by the ]lilvian Bridge, 3 miles from Eome. It then ascended the table-land, and proceeded over a dreary and mono- tonous plain to Baccanae {Baccano), situated in the basin or crater of an extinct volcano. Two inter- mediate small stations are given in the Tabula : Ad Sextum, which, as its name imports, was situated 6 miles from Rome, and therefore 3 from the Pons Milvius : and Veii, 6 miles farther : but it is pro- bable that the ancient Via Cassia, like the modern highroad, passed hy, but not through, the ancient city ; so that the station indicated was probably that where the road turned off to Veii, near the Isola Farnese. The Via Clodia separated from the Cassia about 3 miles beyond the station Ad Sextum, and struck ofi' through Careiae {Galei-a) and Sabate (Bracciano) to Forum Clodii. The Tabula again gives an intermediate station, between Sutrium and Forum Cassii, called Vicus Matrini, the ruins of which are still visible 7 miles beyond Sutri; and that of the Aqnae Passeris, now called the Bayni di Serpa, 12 miles beyond Forum Cassii. The stations given in that document can thus be identified as far as Clusium. They are : — Ad Sextum - - - vi. m. p. Veii (near Isola Farnese) - vi. Baccanae (Baccuno) - - ix. Sutrium (Sutri) - - xii. Vicus JIatrini - - - (omitted, but should be vii.) Forum Cassii ( Vetrallti) - iv. Aquae Passeris {Bagni di Serpa) xi. Volsinii (Bolsena) - - ix. Ad Palliam Fluvium {R. Paglia) — Clusium (Chiusi) - - ix. But from Clusium to Florentia the names of the stations are wholly unknown, and cannot be identi- fied, with the exception of Arretium ; and the entire route is given in so confused a manner that it is impossible to make anything of it. Livy tells us that C. Flaminius, the colleague of M. Aemilius Lepidus in B.C. 187, after having effec- tually reduced the Ligurian tribes that had infested the territory of Bononia, constructed a road from Bononia to Arretium (Liv. xxxix. 2). But it is re- markable that we never hear anything more of this line of road, which would seem to have fallen into disuse ; tbough this pass across the Apennines, •which is still traversed by the modern highroad from Florence to Bologna, is one of the easiest of all. Cicero indeed might be thought to allude to this route when he speaks of proceeding into Cisalpine Gaul by the Via Cassia (I. c); but the absence of any allusion to its existence during the military operations at that period, or on any other occasion, seems to prove conclusively that it had not continued in use as a military highway. (For a careful examination and description of the portion of the Via Cassia near Rome, see Westphal, Jiom. Kamp. i>p. 147 — 153; Nibby, Vie degli An- tichi, pp. 75—82.) [E. H. B.] VIA CIMINIA, a name known only from an in- scription of the time of Hadrian (Orell. Inscr. 3306), was probably a short cut constructed across the range of the Ciminian liills, leaving the Via Cassia to the left, and following nearly the same line as the modern road over the same liills. (Holsten. Not. ad Cluv. p. 67.) [CiMixus Mons] [E. H. B.] VIA CLODIA, was the name of a highroad that branched off from the Via Cassia, to the left, about VOL. II. VIA EGNATIA. 1297 10 miles from Rome, near the inn of La Sloria, where remain.s of the ancient pavement, indicat- ing its direction, may still be seen. The name of the Via Clodia is known to us only from tlie Itine- raries, and from inscriptions of imperial date (Orell. Insc?: 822, 3143); but from the form of the name there can be no doubt that it dates from the repub- lican period, though we have no account when or by whom this line of road was constructed. The Itine- raries indeed seem to have regarded the Via Clodia as the main line, of which the' Via Cassia was only a branch, or rather altogether confounded the two ; but it is evident from the passage of Cicero above quoted, that the Via C<^ssia was, properly speaking, the main line, and the Clodia merely a brancli of it. At the same time, tlie occurrence of a Forum Clodii on the one branch, as well as a Forum Cassii on the other, leave no doubt which were the trae lines designated by these names. The course of the Via Clodia as far as Sabate (^Bracciano) admits of no doubt, though the distances given in the Tabula are corrupt and uncertain ; boi the position of Forum Clodii is uncertain, and the continuation of the line is very obscure. It appears indeed to have held a course nearly parallel with that of the Via Cassia, through Blera, Tuscania, and Saturnia ; but from the latter place the Tabula represents it as proceed- ing to Succosa (Sub Cosa), which would be an ab- rupt turn at right angles, and could never have been the direction of the principal line of road. It is probable that this was either carried up the valley of the Ombrone to Siena (Sena Julia), or proceeded across the marshy plains of that river to join the Via Aurelia. But this is mere conjecture. The stations, as given in the Tabula (the only one of the Itinera- ries in which the true Via Clodia is found), are as follow : — From Rome to Ad Sextum - vi. ji.p. Careiae (Galera) - ix. Ad Novas - - viii. Sabate {Bracciuno) — Forum Clodii - — Blera (Bieda) - xvi. (?) Marta (Ad Martam tl.) ix. Tuscania {Toscunella) — Maternum {Farnese?) xii. Saturnia {Saturnia) xviii. The Antonine Itinerary, without giving the route in detail, says simply — A Roma Foro Clodii, si. p. xxxii. If this di.stanee be correct. Forum Clodii must be placed either at or a little beyond Oritiolo, which is 6 miles beyond Sabate (Bracciano). The distance of Oriuolo from Rome by the line of the Via Clodia (as measured on Cell's map), somewhat exceeds 31 miles. But the distance from Blera must, in that case, be greatly overstated ; the actual distance from Oriuolo to Bieda being scarcely more than 10 miles. (Westphal, Rom. Kaiiipagiie, ]ip. 154 — 158: Den- nis's Ftruria, vol. i. p. 273: but the distances there cited, in the note from the Tabula, are in- correct.) [!•:• H. B.] VIA DOMITTANA. [Vi. Aim-ia, No. l.J VIA EGNA'TIA (v 'Eyvaria 656s, Strab. vii. p. 322, seq.), a Roman military road, which connected Illyria, Macedonia, and Thrace. We are almo.st tot'ally in the dark with regard to the origin of this road. The assumption that it was constructed by a certain person named Egnatius, who was likewi.se the founder of the town Egnalia, or Gnatia, between Barium and Brundusium, on the coast of Apulia, is 4