Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/1327

 VIA LAURENTINA. from Rome, but it is not clear whether he measured the distance by the Via Latina or the Labicana (v. p. 237). The actual distance of Ferentinum (con- cerning which there is no doubt) from Rome is 49 miles; and the Compitum Anagninum is correctly placed 8 miles nearer the city, which would exactly agree with the point on the present highroad where the branch to Anagnia still turns off. Both the Itinerary and the Tabula place Ad Pictas 15 miles from the Compitum Anagninum, and this distance would fix it 10 miles from Roboraria,or 26 from Rome, thus agreeing closely with the statement of Strabo. We may, therefore, feel sure that the position above assigned to Ad Pictas, a point of importance, as that where the two roads joined, is at least ajjproximately correct. The next stations admit of no doubt, and the dis- tances are correct. It was at the Compitum Anag- ninum, 15 miles beyond Ad Pictas, that the Via Praenestina joined the Latina, which was carried thence down the valley of the Sacco, nearly in the line of the present highroad, by Ferentinum and Frusino, both of which still retain their ancient names, to Fregellanum (^Ceprano) on the Liris, whence it turned S. to Fabrateria Nova (the ruins of which are still visible at iS". Giovamii in Carico), on the right bank of the Liris. Here it crossed that river by a bridge, of which the ruins are still extant, whence the course of the ancient road may be traced without difficulty through Aqui- num, Casinum, Teanum, and Cales to Casilinum on the Vulturnus, where it fell into the Via Appia. Portions of the ancient pavement, sepulchres, and other ruins mark the line of the ancient way through- out the latter part of its course. At a station given in the Tabula under the name of Ad Flesum (9 miles from Casinum) a branch road turned off to Venafrum, whence it ascended the valley of the Vulturnus to Aesernia, and thence into the heart of Samnium. The Antonine Itinerary repre- sents the Via Latina as following this cross-road, and making a bend round by Venafrum, but there can be no doubt that the regular highroad proceeded direct to Teanum. The remains of the ancient road may be distinctly traced, proceeding from Teanum nearly due N. through Cajanello and Tora to S. Pietvo in Fine, which was probably the site of the station Ad Flexum. This would be 18 miles from Teanum. The Tabula gives the distance as viii., for which there is no doubt we should read xviii. The branch of the Via Latina, already alluded to, which was carried to Beneventum, quitted the main road at Teanum, crossed the Vulturuus to Allifae, and thence was carried up the valley of the Calor by Telesia to Beneventum. The distances are thus given in the Antonine Itinerary (p. 304): — Teanum to Allifiie (.4^t/«) - - xvii. m.p. Telesia {Telese) - - xxv. Beneventum - - xvii. (The first part of the Via Latina from Rome to the valley of the Liris is examined and discussed in detail by Westphal, Ediu. Kamp. pp. 78 — 97; and Nibby, Vie degli Antichi, pp. 110—119.) [E.H.B.] VIA LAURENTINA. [Laurentum.] VIA NOMENTANA. [Nomentum.] VIA OSTIENSIS, was, as its name imports, the road leading from Rome to Ostia, which must na- turally have been an extremely frequented route when the city was at the height of its prosperity. It fol- lowed in its general direction the left bank of the Tiber, but cutting off the more considerable bends VIA PRAENESTINA. 1303 and windings of the river. It issued from the Porta Ostiensis, now called the Porta S. Paolo, from the celebrated basilica of St. Paul, about IJ mile out- side the gate, and situated on the line of 'the ancient road. Three miles from Rome it passed through a village, or suburb, known as the Vicus Alexandri (Ammian. xvii. 4. § 14): it was at tiiis point that the Via Laurentina struck off direct to Laurentum, 16 miles distant from Rome [Laurentum]; while the Via Ostiensis, turning a little to the riglit, pur- sued thenceforth nearly a straight course all the way to Ostia. On this line, 11 miles from Rome, is the Osteria di Mala Fede, where a road branches off to Po7-ciffliano, which undoubtedly follows the same line as that mentioned by the younger Pliny, by which his Laurentine villa could be approached as conveniently as by the Via Laurentina. (Plin. Ep. ii. 17.) Five miles farther the highroad reached Ostia, which was 16 miles from Rome. {Ithi. Ant. p. 301.) [Ostia]. [E. H. B.] VIA POPILIA. [Vlv Appia, No. 5.] VIA PORTUENSIS, was the road that led from Rome to the Portus Ti'ajani, or the new port of the city constructed under the Empire on the right bank of the Tiber. [Ostia.] The name could not, of course, have come into use until after the construction of this great artificial port to replace the natural harbour of Ostia, and is only found in the enumeration of the Viae in the Curiosum Urbis and Notitia (pp. 28, 29, ed. Preller). But the line of the road itself may still be traced witliout difficulty. It issued from the Porta Portuensis, in the walls of Aurelian, and fol- lowed, with little deviation, the right bank of the Tiber, only cutting off the minor windings of that river. The Antonine Itinerary places the city of Portus 19 miles from Rome (p. 300); but this is certainly a mistake, the real distance being just about the same as that of Ostia, or 16 miles. (Nibby, Dlntorni, vol. iii. p. 624.) From Portus a road was carried along the coast by Fregenae (9 miles) to Alsium (9 miles), where it joined the Via Aurelia. {I tin. Ant. p. 300.) [E. H. B.] VIA POSTUMIA, was, as we learn from an in- scription (Orell. Jnscr. 3121), the proper name of the road that crossed tlie Apennines direct from Der- tona to Genua. But it appears to have fallen into disuse ; at least we do not find it mentioned by any ancient writer, and the road itself is included by the Itineraries under the general name of the Via Au- relia. It has therefore been considered more conve- nient to describe it in that article. [E. H. B.] VIA PRAENESTINA (r/ UpaiueaTiHi 6d6s, Strab.), was the name of one of the highroads that issued from the Porta Esquilina at li'omo, and led (as its name implies) direct to Praeneste. The period of its construction is unknown ; but it is evident that there must have been from a very early period a highway, or line of communication from Rome to Praeneste, long before there was .'i regular paved road, such as the V'ia Praenestina ultimately beeaiiR'. The first part of it indeed, as far as tliccity of Gabii, 13 miles from Rome, was originally known as the Vlv Gaiuna, a name which is used by Livy in the history of the early ages of the Re])ublic (Liv. ii. 11), but would seem to have afterwards fallen into disuse, so that both Strabo and the Itineraries give the name of Via Praenestina to the whole line. (Strab. V. p. 238; Itiii. Ant. p. 302.) In the latter period of the Republic, indeed, Gabii had fallen very much into decay, while Praeneste was still an important and flourisiiing town, which will suf- 4 o 4