Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/1324

 1300 VIA FLAMINIA. portion of Gallia Cispadana, which should naturally Lave been included in Aemilia. [Italia, p. 93.] There is no doubt, from the description of Clau- dian above cited, compared with the narrative in Tacitus of the movements of the Vitellian and Vespasian armies in a. d. 69, that the main line of the Via Flaminia continued the same throughout the Roman Empire, but we find it sjiven in the Iti- neraries with some deviations. The principal of these was between Narnia and Forum Flaminii, where the original road ran direct from Narnia to llcvania, while a branch or loop made a circuit by Interamna and Spoletium, which appears to have come to be as much frequented as the main line, so that in both the Antonine and Jerusalem Itineraries this branch is given, instead of the direct line. Another route given in the Antonine Itinerary (p. 311) follows the line of the old Flaminian Way as far as Nuceria, but thence turns abruptly to the right across the main ridge of the Apennines, and descends the valley of the Potentia to Ancona. Though given in the Itinerary under the name of the Via Flaminia, it may well be doubted whether this route was ever properly so called. Before enu- merating the stations and distances along this cele- brated line of road, as recorded in tlie different Iti- neraries, it will be well to give a brief general de- scription of its course, especially of tiiat part of it nearest to Rome. The Via Flaminia issued from the gate of the same name, the Porta Flaminia, which was situated nearly on the same site as the modern Porta del Popolo, but a little fiirther from the Tiber, and was carried thence in a direct line to the Pons IMilvius {Ponte iMolle), where it crossed the Tiber. This celebrated bridge, which so often figures in Roman history, was reckoned to be 3 miles from Rome, though only 2 from the Porta Flaminia, the distances being as usual computed from the ancient gate, the Porta Ratumena. After crossing the Tiber, the Flaminian Way turned to the right, keeping pretty close to the river, while the Via Cassia, which diverged from it at this point, ascended the table-land and proceeded nearly due N. The line of the Via Flaminia is here distinctly marked by the remains of several ancient sepulchres, with which its course was studded on both sides, like the Via Appia and Latina, for some miles from the gates of Rome. The number of such sepulchres on the line of the Via Flaminia is particularly noticed by Juvenal (i. 171). One of these, which was discovered in the 17th century at a place called Grotta Rossa, obtained much cele- brity from being supposed to be that of the family of Ovid, though in reality it belonged to a family of the name of Nasonius, which could have no connec- tion with the poet, whose cognomen only was Naso. Sis miles from the Milvian Bridge (at a place now called Prima Porta) was the station of Saxa Rubra, or Ad Rubras as it is called in the Itineraries, which, from its proximity to Rome, and its position on the great northern highway, is repeatedly mentioned in history. [Saxa Rubra.] It was here that the Via Tiberina parted from the Flaminia, and, turning off to the right, followed closely the valley of the river, while the main line of the more impor- tant highway ascended the table-land, and held nearly a straight course to the station of Rostrata Villa, which is placed by the Antonine Itinerary 24 miles from Rome. The exact site of this cannot be iilcutitied, but it )nust have been a little short of liifjnano. It is not mentioned in the Tabula or Je- VIA FLAWmiA. rusalem Itinerary, both of which, on the contrary, give another station, Ad Vicesimum, which, as its name imports, was situated 20 miles from Rome, and, therefore, 1 1 from Ad Rubras. It must there- fore have been situated a little beyond the Monte di Guardia, but was evidently a mere Mutatio, or station for changing horses, and no ruins mark the site. But the course of the Via Flaminia can be traced with certainty across this table-land to the foot of Soracte, by portions of the ancient pavement still existing, and ruined tombs by the roadside. The nest station set down in the Jerusalem Itinerary and the Tabula is Aqua Viva, 12 miles beyond Ad Vicesimum, and this is identified beyond a doubt with the Osteria delV Acqua Viva, which is just at the required distance (32 miles) from Rome. Thence the ancient road proceeded direct to the Tiber, leaving Civita Castellana (the ancient Fescen- nium) on the left, and crossed the Tiber a little above Borijketto, where the remains of the ancient bridge are still visible, and still known as the Pile diAur/iisto. Thence it proceeded in a straight line to Ocri- culum, the ruins of which are situated below the modern town of Otricoli. Ocriculum was 12 JI. P. from Aqua Viva, or 44 from Rome, according to the detailed distances of the Jerusalem Itinerar}', which are exactly correct. Tlie Antonine Itinerary makes the distance in one place 4.'>, in another 47 miles. (Itin. Ant. pp. 125, 311; Itin. Ilier. p. 613. For a detailed examination of this first portion of the Via Flaminia, see Westphal, Ramische Kampagne, pp. 133 — 145 ; Nibby, Vie degli Antichi, pp. 57 — 74.) The remainder of the route must be more briefly described. From Ocriculum it led direct to Narnia (12 miles), where it crossed the Nar by the famous bridge, the ruins of which are still the admiration of travellers, and, quitting altogether the valley of the Nar, crossed the hills nearly in a straight line due N. to Mevania (Bevagna), passing by a station Ad Wartis ( 1 6 JI. P. ), and thence to Mevania ( 1 6 M. P.) : whence it proceeded to Forum Flaminii, at the foot of the Apennines. But the distances here have not been examined in detail, and most of the Itine- raries (as already mentioned) give the circuitous or loop line (nearly coinciding with the modern road) by Interamna and Spoletium to Forum Flaminii. The stations on this road were, according to the Itin. Ant, : — Interamna (Terni) - - - viii, m. p. Spoletium {Spoleto') - - - sviii. Forum Flaminii - - - - xviii. but the Jerusalem Itinerary, which gives them in greater detail, makes the total distance somewhat greater. The stations as there set down are : — Interanma (^Terni) - . - viii. m.P. Tres Tabernae - - - - iii. Fanum Fugitivi - - - x. Spoletium {Spolet-o'). - - vii. Sacraria (ie Vene, at the sources of the Clitumnus). - - viii. Treba {Trevi) . . - . iiii. Fulginium (Foligno) - - v. Forum Flaminii ... iii. The position of Forum Flaminii is well ascertained at a place called S. Giovanni in Forijiamma, where its ruins are still visible. This is, however, little more than 2 miles from Foligno^ but is correctly placed by the Itineraries 12 miles from Nuceria (N'ocera). There can be no doubt that the foun- dation of the town of Forum Flaminii was contompo-