The Appian Way (Latin and Italian: Via Appia) was the most important ancient Roman road. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. The Roman Roads were essential for the growth of the Roman Empire, by enabling the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate news It is also called the "the queen road". [1] It connected Rome to Brindisi, Apulia in southeast Italy. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Brindisi can also refer to a song in which a company is exhorted to drink such as the "Tea-Cup Brindisi" in Gilbert and Sullivan 's " The Apulia ( Italian: Puglia) is a region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east the Ionian Sea Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Its importance is indicated by its common name, recorded by Statius[2]:
- Appia longarum teritur regina viarum ("the Appian way is commonly said to be the queen of the long roads")
Contents |
History
The Need for Roads to the Roman Army
The Roman army, for its success, depended on the use of highways to prepare for battle and to afterward refresh and re-equip. The Roman army was a set of military forces employed by the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and later Roman Empire as part of the Roman military The specific Via Appia was used as a main route for military supplies for many years from the middle of the 4th century BC. Bases allowed the Romans to keep large numbers in the field waiting for the opportunity to strike. In the late Republic the Romans were masters of road construction, but this art was not yet in their repertory until their territory expanded. The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the The few roads outside the early city were Etruscan and they were not used to connect bases or supply troops. Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to the culture and way of life of a people of ancient Italy
Samnites
Rome always had an affinity for the people of Campania, who, like themselves, traced their backgrounds to the Etruscans. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Campania is a region of Southern Italy in Europe. The region has a population of around 5 Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to the culture and way of life of a people of ancient Italy The Samnite Wars were instigated by the Samnites when Rome attempted to ally itself with Capua. The First, Second, and Third Samnite wars, between the early Roman Republic and the tribes of Samnium, extended over half a century involving Capua is a city in the Province of Caserta, Campania, Italy situated 25 km (16 mi north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of The Italic speakers in Latium had long ago been subdued and incorporated into the Roman state. The Italic subfamily is a member of the Indo-European language family's Centum branch Latium was a region of ancient Italy, home to the original Latin people. They were responsible for changing Rome from a primarily Etruscan to a primarily Italic state.
Dense populations of sovereign Samnites remained in the mountains north of Capua, which is just north of the Greek city of Neapolis. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the Around 343 BC, Rome and Capua attempted to form an alliance, a first step toward a closer unity. Events By place Persian Empire The King of Persia, Artaxerxes III, personally leads the Persian forces invading Egypt The Samnites reacted with military force.
Pontine Marshes
Between Capua and Rome lay the Pontine Marshes (Pomptinae paludes), a malarial swamp. The Pontine Marshes ( Agro Pontino in Italian) is a former Marsh area in the Lazio Region of Central Italy southeast of Rome A coastal road wound its tortuous way between Ostia at the mouth of the Tiber and Neapolis. Ostia Antica was the Harbour of Ancient Rome and perhaps its first colonia. The Tiber ( Latin Tiberis, Italian Tevere) is the third-longest River in Italy, rising in the Apennine mountains The via Latina followed its ancient and scarcely less accessible path along the foothills of Monti Laziali and Monti Lepini, which are visible towering over the former marsh. The Via Latina, or the " Latin Way " was a Roman road of Italy, running southeast from Rome for about. The Monti Lepini (Italian Lepini mountains) are a mountain range which belongs to the Anti-Apennines of the Lazio region of central Italy, between
In the First Samnite War (343 BC-341 BC) the Romans found they could not support or resupply troops in the field against the Samnites across the marsh, but were victorious anyway. The First, Second, and Third Samnite wars, between the early Roman Republic and the tribes of Samnium, extended over half a century involving Events By place Macedonia Philip II of Macedon completes his annexation of Thrace. A revolt of the Latin League drained their resources even further. The Latin League (c 7th century BC - 338 BC) was a confederation of about 30 villages and tribes in the region of Latium near Ancient Rome organized for They gave up the attempted alliance. The rich lands and connections with Campania were being snatched away from them for the moment.
Colonization to the Southeast
The Romans were only biding their time while they looked for a solution. The first answer was the colonia, a "cultivation" of settlers from Rome, who would maintain a permanent base of operations. This article is about a type of political territory For other uses see Colony (disambiguation. The Second Samnite War (327 BC-304 BC) erupted when Rome attempted to place a colony at Cales in 334 BC and again at Fregellae in 328 on the other side of the marshes. The First, Second, and Third Samnite wars, between the early Roman Republic and the tribes of Samnium, extended over half a century involving Events By place Macedonian Empire Alexander the Great invades northern India. Events By place Greece The siege of Rhodes ends after a year as Demetrius Poliorcetes meets with obstinate resistance from the Cales (modern Calvi Risorta) an ancient city of Campania, belonging originally to the Aurunci, on the Via Latina, 8 m Events By place Persian Empire The king of Caria, Pixodarus, dies and is succeeded by his son-in-law Orontobates. Fregellae was an ancient town of Latium adiectum, situated on the Via Latina 11 m The Samnites, now a major power after defeating the Greeks of Tarentum, occupied Neapolis to try and ensure its loyalty. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Not to be confused with Toronto. Taranto ( Ancient Greek: Tarās; Modern Greek: Tarantas) is a coastal city in Neapoli or Neapolis (Νεάπολις πόλις 'new city' may refer to the following places Cities In Greece: The Neapolitans appealed to Rome, which sent an army and succeeded in expelling the Samnites from Neapolis. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 The fight for Campania was on once more. Campania is a region of Southern Italy in Europe. The region has a population of around 5
Colonies alone apparently were not the answer. In 321 BC, a Roman army was trapped in the mountain passes north of Capua, at Caudium. Events By place Macedonian Empire Antipater appoints Antigonus commander in chief of his army in Asia Minor and sends Caudium is an open source Web server. It was originally written as a fork of the Roxen Challenger server At the Battle of the Caudine Forks they were kept penned in without supplies, especially water, until the Senate bought their release in exchange for a treaty the Romans considered humiliating, by which they provided hostages and gave up the colonies. The Battle of Caudine Forks, 321 BC, was a decisive Battle of the Samnite Wars. The treaty was a 5-year one. Rome used the time to defeat the Italic tribes around Samnium. The Italic subfamily is a member of the Indo-European language family's Centum branch In 316 BC, at the end of the treaty, Samnium joined the universal war of Italics against Rome, which was badly beaten again at the Battle of Lautulae in 315 BC. Events By place Macedonian Empire Eumenes and Antigonus, rivals to Cassander for control of Macedonia meet in the Battle The Battle of Lautulae was fought in 315 BC between the Romans (led by dictator Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus) Events By place Macedonian Empire Antigonus claims authority over most of Asia seizes the treasury at Susa and enters Babylon The situation was bleak by 312 BC and was to become bleaker when, in 311 BC, the Etruscans in Etruria and Campania decided to go over to the Samnites. Events By place Seleucid Empire Ptolemy and Seleucus, the Satrap of Babylonia, invade the satrapy of Events By place Seleucid Empire Seleucus reestablishes himself as Satrap of Babylonia and asserts control over
Appius Claudius Caecus
In 312 BC, Appius Claudius Caecus became censor at Rome. Appius Claudius Caecus ("the blind" ca 340 BCE - 273 BCE) was a Roman politician from a wealthy Patrician family A Censor was a magistrate of high rank in the ancient Roman Republic. He was of the gens Claudia (later in some branches called Clodia), patricians descended from the Sabines taken into the early Roman state. The Gens Claudia was one of the oldest families in ancient Rome, and for centuries its members were regularly leaders of the city and empire The Sabines ( Latin Sabini, Singular Sabinus) were an Italic tribe that lived in ancient Italy, inhabiting He had been given the name of the founding ancestor of the gens. He was a populist, an advocate of the common people, who did not stand by and wait for others when the work of the state needed to be done. A man of inner perspicacity, in the years of success he was said to have lost his outer vision and thus acquired the name caecus, "blind".
Without waiting to be told what to do, Appius Claudius began bold public works to address the supply problem. An aqueduct (the Aqua Appia) secured the water supply of the city of Rome. The Aqua Appia was the first Roman aqueduct. It was constructed in 312 BC by Appius Claudius Caecus, the same Roman censor who also By far the best known project was the road, which was to run straight as an arrow across the Pontine Marshes to the coast northwest of Naples, there to turn northward to Capua. The Pontine Marshes ( Agro Pontino in Italian) is a former Marsh area in the Lazio Region of Central Italy southeast of Rome Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the Capua is a city in the Province of Caserta, Campania, Italy situated 25 km (16 mi north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of On it any number of fresh troops could be sped to the theatre of operations, and supplies could be moved en masse to Roman bases without hindrance by either enemy or terrain. It is no surprise that, after his term as censor, Appius Claudius became consul twice, subsequently held other offices, and was a respected consultant to the state even during his later years. A Censor was a magistrate of high rank in the ancient Roman Republic. Consul (abbrev cos; Latin plural consules) was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire
Construction of the road
How the road was built
The road began as a leveled dirt road upon which small stones and mortar are laid. Upon this gravel is laid, which was finally topped with tight fitting, and interlocking stones to provide a flat surface. Some of the stones were have said to fit so well that you could not slide a knife into the cracks. The road was crested in the middle (for water runoff) and had ditches on either side of the road which were protected by retaining walls.
Between Rome and Lake Albano
The road began in the Forum Romanum, passed through the Servian Wall at the porta Capena, went through a cutting in the clivus Martis, and left the city. This page refers to the main forum in the center of Rome See Imperial forums or Other forums in Rome (below for other forums in Rome and The Servian Wall (in Latin: Murus Servii Tullii) was a defensive barrier constructed around the city of Rome in the early 4th century BC. The Porta Capena was a gate in the Servian Wall near the Caelian Hill, in Rome, formerly a sacred forest where Numa Pompilius and Egeria For this stretch of the road, the builders used the via Latina. The Via Latina, or the " Latin Way " was a Roman road of Italy, running southeast from Rome for about. The building of the Aurelian Wall centuries later required the placing of another gate, the Porta Appia. The Aurelian Walls (Mura aureliane were City walls built between 271 and 275 in Rome during the reign of the Roman Emperors Aurelian and Porta San Sebastiano is a gate in the Aurelian Wall of Rome, through which the Via Ardeatina or more generally the Via Appia, leaves the city Outside of Rome the new via Appia went through well-to-do suburbs along the via Norba, the ancient track to the Alban hills, where Norba was situated. The Alban Hills are the site of a quiescent volcanic complex in Italy, located 20 km southeast of Rome and about 24 km north of This article is about the ancient Italian town For the National Off-Road Bicycle Association in the United States see NORBA. The road at the time was a via glarea, a gravel road. The Romans built a high-quality road, with layers of cemented stone over a layer of small stones, crowned, drainage ditches on either side, low retaining walls on sunken portions, and dirt pathways for sidewalks. The via Appia is believed to have been the first Roman road to feature the use of lime cement. The materials were volcanic rock. The surface was said to have been so smooth that you could not distinguish the joints. The Roman section still exists and is lined with monuments of all periods, although the cement has eroded out of the joints, leaving a very rough surface.
Across the marsh
The road concedes nothing to the Alban hills, but goes straight through them over cuts and fills. The Alban Hills are the site of a quiescent volcanic complex in Italy, located 20 km southeast of Rome and about 24 km north of The gradients are steep. Then it enters the former Pontine Marshes. The Pontine Marshes ( Agro Pontino in Italian) is a former Marsh area in the Lazio Region of Central Italy southeast of Rome A stone causeway of about 19 miles led across stagnant and odoriferous pools blocked from the sea by sand dunes. Appius Claudius planned to drain the marsh, taking up earlier attempts, but he failed. The causeway and its bridges subsequently needed constant repair. No one enjoyed crossing the marsh. In 162 BC, Marcus Cornelius Cathegus had a canal constructed along the road to relieve the traffic and provide an alternative when the road was being repaired. Romans preferred using the canal.
Along the coast
The via Appia picked up the coastal road at Tarracina. Terracina is a town and Comune of the Province of Latina - (until 1934 of the Province of Rome) Italy, 76 km SE of Rome by However, the Romans straightened it somewhat with huge cuttings, which form cliffs today. From there the road swerved north to Capua, where, for the time being, it ended. Caudine Forks was not far to the north. The itinerary was Aricia (Ariccia), Tres Tabernae, Appii Forum, Tarracina (Terracina), Fundi (Fondi), Formiae (Formia), Minturnae (Minturno), Sinuessa (Mondragone), Casilinum and Capua, but some of these were colonies added after the Samnite Wars. Ariccia (Latin Aricia) is a town and Comune in the Province of Rome. Three Taverns (Tres Tabernae was a place on the ancient Appian Way, about 18 km from Rome, designed for the reception of travellers as the name indicates Terracina is a town and Comune of the Province of Latina - (until 1934 of the Province of Rome) Italy, 76 km SE of Rome by Fondi is a city and comune in the Province of Latina ( Lazio, Italy) halfway between Rome and Naples. Formia is a city in the Province of Latina, on the Mediterranean coast of Lazio ( Italy) Minturno is a city in the southern Lazio, Italy, situated on the north west bank of the Liris (also known as the Garigliano) with a suburb on Mondragone is a Comune (municipality in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 45 km northwest of Casilinum (modern Capua) an ancient city of Campania, Italy, 3 m Capua is a city in the Province of Caserta, Campania, Italy situated 25 km (16 mi north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of The distance was 132 miles. The original road had no milestones, as they were not yet in use. A few survive from later times, including a first milestone near the porta Appia.
Victorious outcome
The road achieved its purpose. The outcome of the Second Samnite War was at last favorable to Rome. The First, Second, and Third Samnite wars, between the early Roman Republic and the tribes of Samnium, extended over half a century involving In a series of stunning blows the Romans reversed their fortunes, bringing Etruria to the table in 311 BC, the very year of their revolt, and Samnium in 304. Samnium ( Oscan: Safinim; Italian Sannio) is a historical region of the south central Apennines in Italy, that was home to the The road was just the factor that allowed them to concentrate their forces sufficiently rapidly and keep them adequately supplied to become a formidable opponent.
Extension to Beneventum
The Third Samnite War (298 BC-290 BC) is perhaps misnamed. The First, Second, and Third Samnite wars, between the early Roman Republic and the tribes of Samnium, extended over half a century involving Events By place Roman Republic The Samnites defeat the Romans under Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus in the Battle Events By place Roman Republic Roman general and Consul, Manius Curius Dentatus, gains a decisive victory over the It was an all-out attempt by all the neighbors of Rome: Italics, Etruscans and Gauls, to check the power of Rome. The Samnites were the leading people of the conspiracy. Rome dealt the northerners a crushing blow at the Battle of Sentinum in Umbria in 295 BC. The Battle of Sentinum was the decisive battle of the Third Samnite War, fought in 295 BC near Sentinum (next to Sassoferrato Umbria is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. The capital is Perugia. Events By place Roman Republic The Battle of Sentinum west of Anconum ends in defeat for a formidable coalition of Samnites, The Samnites fought on alone. Rome now placed 13 colonies in Campania and Samnium. It must have been during this time that they extended the via Appia 35 miles beyond Capua past the Caudine forks to a place the Samnites called Maloenton, “passage of the flocks. ” The itinerary added Calatia, Caudium and Beneventum (not yet called that). Calatia was an ancient town of Campania, Italy, 6 m SE of Capua, on the Via Appia, near the point where the Via Popillia branches Caudium is an open source Web server. It was originally written as a fork of the Roxen Challenger server Benevento is a town and Comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the Province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. Here also ended the via Latina. The Via Latina, or the " Latin Way " was a Roman road of Italy, running southeast from Rome for about.
Extension to Apulia and Calabria
By 290 BC, all was over for the sovereignty of the Samnites. The heel of Italy lay open to the Romans. The dates are somewhat uncertain and there is considerable variation in the sources, but during the Third Samnite War the Romans seem to have extended the road to Venusia, where they placed a colony of 20,000 men. After that they were at Tarentum. Not to be confused with Toronto. Taranto ( Ancient Greek: Tarās; Modern Greek: Tarantas) is a coastal city in
Possession of the region and control of southern Italy was contested by King Pyrrhus of Epirus in neighboring Greece on behalf of the Greek presence in Italy. Pyrrhus (318-272 BC ( Greek: Πύρρος Aιακιδης Pyrros Aiakides was one of the most successful ancient Greek generals of the Hellenistic Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία In 280 BC the Romans suffered another defeat at the hands of Pyrrhus at the Battle of Heraclea on the coast west of Tarentum. The Battle of Heraclea took place in 280 BC between the Romans under the command of Consul Publius Valerius Laevinus and the combined forces of Not to be confused with Toronto. Taranto ( Ancient Greek: Tarās; Modern Greek: Tarantas) is a coastal city in Making the best of it, the Roman army turned on Greek Rhegium and effected a massacre of Pyrrhian partisans there. Reggio di Calabria (Italian pronunciation /ˈrɛʤo ˌdikaˈlabrja/ Calabrian dialect: Rìggiu, Greek-Calabrian: Righi, Greek:
Rather than pursue them, Pyrrhus went straight for Rome along the via Appia and then the via Latina. He knew that if he continued on the via Appia he could be trapped in the marsh. Wary of such entrapment on the via Latina also, he withdrew without fighting after encountering opposition at Anagni. Anagni, (Latin Anagnia) is an ancient town in Latium, Italy, in the hills east-southeast of Rome famous for its connections with the papacy and for the Wintering in Campania, he withdrew to Apulia in 279 BC, where, pursued by the Romans, he defeated them again at the Battle of Asculum. Campania is a region of Southern Italy in Europe. The region has a population of around 5 Apulia ( Italian: Puglia) is a region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east the Ionian Sea Events By place Greece An army of Gauls under Brennus invade Greece. This article refers to the Pyrrhic War battle fought in 279 BC. Withdrawing from Apulia for a Sicilian interlude, he returned to Apulia in 275 and started for Campania up the nice Roman road.
Supplied by that same road, the Romans successfully defended the region against Pyrrhus, who won his “Pyrrhic victory” at the Battle of Beneventum (not yet named that) in 275 BC, suffering such losses that he had to withdraw. The Battle of Beneventum (275 BC was the last battle fought between the forces of Pyrrhus of Epirus (without Samnite allies and the Romans, led by consul Events By place Egypt The Museum of Alexandria is founded by the Egyptian King Ptolemy II. The Romans lost twice as many, but they could replace those men, while Pyrrhus could not. As it is the habit of soldiers everywhere to twist place names, the Roman soldiers changed Maloenton to Maleventum, “the place of the bad winds. ” Consequently, Roman magistrates placing a colony there in 268 BC renamed it Beneventum, “the place of the good winds. Events By place Roman Republic The Roman Denarius coin is minted for the first time ”
Exiting by the back door at Brundisium, the ancient port of embarkation for Greece, Pyrrhus left for easier fields of battle. Brindisi can also refer to a song in which a company is exhorted to drink such as the "Tea-Cup Brindisi" in Gilbert and Sullivan 's " The The Romans pushed the via Appia to there in 264 BC. Events By place Greece Abantidas, the son of Paseas, becomes Tyrant of the Greek city-state of Sicyon after The itinerary from Benvenutum was now Venusia, Tarentum, Uria and Brundisium. Not to be confused with Toronto. Taranto ( Ancient Greek: Tarās; Modern Greek: Tarantas) is a coastal city in Uria is a genus of Seabirds in the Auk family known commonly as Guillemots or in North America as murres'. Brindisi can also refer to a song in which a company is exhorted to drink such as the "Tea-Cup Brindisi" in Gilbert and Sullivan 's " The The Roman Republic was the government of Italy, for the time being. Appius Claudius had died in 273, but in extending the road a number of times, no one had tried to displace his name upon it.
Spartacus
In 73 BC, a slave revolt (known as the Third Servile War) under the ex-gladiator of Capua, Spartacus, broke out against the Romans. Year 73 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place British Isles Traditional date that Lud became King The Third Servile War, also called the Gladiator War and The War of Spartacus by Plutarch, was the last of a series of unrelated and unsuccessful slave Spartacus (c 109 BC-71 BC according to Roman historians was a Slave who became the leader (or possibly one of several leaders in the unsuccessful slave The latter defeated many Roman armies, but unwittingly moved his forces into the historic trap in Apulia/Calabria, where he hoped to escape from Brindusium. The Romans were well acquainted with the region. Legions were brought home from abroad and Spartacus fell into the very sort of trap the Romans had had to buy their way out of at Caudium and that Pyrrhus had tried so hard to evade: he was penned between armies. On his defeat the Romans judged that the slaves had broken their contract and had forfeited the right to live. In 71 BC, they were executed by crucifixion, a standard method. Events By place Rome Third Servile War ends — Slave uprising under leadership of Spartacus is crushed by a Roman army under Some 6,000 crosses lined the via Appia all the way to Capua.
Trajan
The emperor Trajan built the Via Traiana, an extension of the Via Appia from Beneventum, reaching Brundisium via Canusium and Barium rather than via Tarentum. Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, commonly known as Trajan ( September 18 53 &ndash August 9 117) was a Roman Emperor who For Arabian road see Via Traiana Nova The Via Traiana was an ancient Roman road Benevento is a town and Comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the Province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. Brindisi can also refer to a song in which a company is exhorted to drink such as the "Tea-Cup Brindisi" in Gilbert and Sullivan 's " The Canosa should not be confused with Canossa in northern Italy Canosa di Puglia (or simply Canosa; Latin: Canusium Bari ( Barium in Latin, Bàrion or Vàrion in Greek, Bare in Neapolitan Not to be confused with Toronto. Taranto ( Ancient Greek: Tarās; Modern Greek: Tarantas) is a coastal city in This was commemorated by an arch at Beneventum. Benevento is a town and Comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the Province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples.
Anzio
In 1943, the Allies fell into the very trap Pyrrhus had retreated to avoid, in the Pontine fields, the successor to the Pontine marshes. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The marsh remained despite numerous efforts to drain it until engineers working for Mussolini finally succeeded. Even so, the fields were infested with malarial mosquitos until the advent of DDT in 1950s. DDT (from its trivial name D ichloro- D iphenyl- T richloroethane is one of the best known synthetic Pesticides It is a chemical with a long The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive
Hoping to break a stalemate at Monte Cassino, the allies landed on the coast of Italy at Anzio, ancient Antium, which was midway between Ostia and Terracina. For information about the World War II battle see the Battle of Monte Cassino. Ostia Antica was the Harbour of Ancient Rome and perhaps its first colonia. Terracina is a town and Comune of the Province of Latina - (until 1934 of the Province of Rome) Italy, 76 km SE of Rome by When they landed the place was undefended. They hoped to move along the line of the via Appia to take Rome, outflanking Monte Cassino, but they did not do so quickly enough. The Germans swiftly occupied Mounts Laziali and Lepini along the track of the old Via Latina, from which they rained down a hail of shells on Anzio. The Via Latina, or the " Latin Way " was a Roman road of Italy, running southeast from Rome for about. Even though the allies expanded into all the Pontine region, they could avail nothing. The Germans counterattacked down the via Appia from the Alban hills in a front four miles wide, but could not retake Anzio. The battle lasted for four months, one side being supplied by sea, the other by land through Rome. In May 1944, the Allies broke out from Anzio and quickly took Rome, although the German forces escaped to the north of Florence. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany
Road as an antique
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the road fell out of use; Pope Pius VI ordered its restoration. The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285 the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Pope Pius VI (December 27 1717 &ndash August 29 1799 born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, Pope from 1775 to 1799 was born at Cesena. A new Appian Way was built in parallel with the old one in 1784 as far as the Alban Hills region. Year 1784 ( MDCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The new is the via Appia nuova as opposed to the old section, now a tourist attraction, the via Appia antica. Wide parts of the original road have been preserved, and some are now used by cars (for example, in the area of Velletri). Velletri is a Comune in the Province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Lazio ( Latium) - Italy Along the part of the road closest to Rome, one can see many tombs and catacombs of Roman and early Christian origin. Also the Church of Domine Quo Vadis is in the first mile of the road. Chiesa di Santa Maria in Palmis, better known as Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis is a small church southeast of Rome The road inspires the last movement of Ottorino Respighi's Pini di Roma. For the astronomer see Lorenzo Respighi (1824—1889 For the crater named after Lorenzo Respighi see Respighi (crater. Pini di Roma ( English “Pines of Rome” is a 1924 work by the Italian Composer Ottorino Respighi, and is considered To this day the Via Appia still contains the longest stretch of straight road of Europe[3] for 62km.
Monuments along the Via Appia
IVth mile
Porta Appia, the gate of the Aurelian Walls
Vth mile
- Mausoleum of the Orazi and Curiazi
- Villa dei Quintili, with ninpheum, theatre, and baths
- Mausoleum of Casal Rotondo
VIth mile and beyond
- Minucia tomb
- Torre Selce
- Temple of Hercules
- Berrettia di Prete (tomb and later church)
- Mausoleum of Gallienus
References
- ^ "Past Catches Up With the Queen of Roads", New York Times, April 5, 2008. Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (218-268 ruled the Roman Empire as co-emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 and then as the sole Roman Emperor Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Retrieved on 2008-04-05. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop "In ancient times the Appian Way, which links Rome to the southern city of Brindisi, was known as the regina viarum, the queen of the roads. But these days its crown appears to be tarnished by chronic traffic congestion, vandalism and, some of its guardians grumble, illegal development. "
- ^ Sylvae, 2. 2
- ^ Astronomical references in the planning of ancient roads
See also
External links
- Via Appia Antica From Torre In Selci To Frattocchie
- Via Appia Antica From Cecilia Metella To Torre In Selci
- The Via Appia And The Cities Of The Pontine Plain
- Documentary Film about the Sassi di Matera and the Appian Way, Roba Forestiera, 44 min., 2004
- New York Times article on condition of Appian Way in modern times
| Roman Empire | Roman roads |  |
|---|---|
| Via Aemilia | Via Aemilia Scauri | Via Agrippa | Via Amerina | Via Anicia | Via Appia | Via Aquillia | Via Aquitania | Via Asturica Burdigalam | Via Augusta | Via Augusta Pretoria | Via Aurelia | Via Bracara Asturicam | Via Cassia | Via Claudia Augusta | Via Augusta | Via Clodia | Via Confluentana | Via Corsica | Via Decia | Via Delapidata | Via Devana | Via Domitia | Via Domitiana | Via Egnatia | Via Fenollentis | Via Flaminia | Via Gallica | Via Julia Augusta | Via Labicana | Via Latina | Via Lusitanorum | Via Mala | Via Militaris | Via Ostiensis | Via Pontica | Via Popilia | Via Postumia | Via Salaria | Via Traiana Nova | Via Valeria | Via Vallespiri | |
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