142 SECTIONAL ADDRESSES. 
Republic (65 B.c.) it had a special cwrator (whereas the upkeep of the roads 
was normally part of the censor’s duties, and the curatores of particular 
roads, of whom we have many inscriptions, seem to date only from 
Claudius). In 278.c. Augustus himself took charge of its restoration. It was, 
from this time on, evidently well kept up and much frequented. Vespasian 
built the tunnel in the Furlo Pass; Trajan and Hadrian as well as other 
emperors undertook other repairs ; and as a result we find that at about 
this time some travellers from Gades (Cadiz) in the south of Spain to 
the baths of Vicarello (perhaps the ancient Aquae Apollinares), on the 
north side of the Lake of Bracciano, preferred to come by land, and further. 
preferred the Via Aemilia and the Via Flaminia to the difficult Riviera 
coast route and the unhealthy Tuscan shore, or to the Apennine crossing 
between Bologna and Florence. These travellers have left a record of 
their journey in the shape of four silver cups found at these baths, with 
the itinerary from Cadiz to Rome and the names and distances of the 
post-stations inscribed upon them. 
The Via Flaminia, unlike the two roads of which we have spoken, is 
not able to maintain its straightness of line for very long after leaving the 
Tiber valley. It comes into some heavy country among the hills on the 
right bank, and is in some places constrained to wind about very con- 
siderably, so as to follow the watershed between deep ravines. It was 
not possible, as on the Via Cassia, which, though it runs only a few miles 
further west, traverses quite different (volcanic) country, to meet the 
difficulties by the use of deep cuttings—on the Cassia there is one as much 
as sixty feet deep in the descent to the crater of Baccano. But the first 
really serious obstacle by which it is confronted is the valley of the river 
Treia, which is subject to violent floods, one of which, only four years ago, 
carried away the modern bridge just below Civita Castellana. The valley 
is about 1,300 yards wide, and the drop in level to the bottom is about 
250 feet on the south, while the ascent on the north is some 150 feet. 
The difficulties were considerable, but have been very well dealt with : 
and the causeways and bridge by which the Roman engineers took the 
road across the valley form a splendid monument of their skill. 
On the south side of the valley the road runs along the slope, being 
supported on the outer side by an embankment wall, the blocks of which 
have for the most part been removed. The road-bed is 0°90 m. thick, 
including the selee pavement blocks, and consists of large lumps of stone 
and earth. The width of the embankment is 8:20 m. and of the road 
itself 5°20 m. Shortly after the second turn the embankment is traversed 
by a culvert. The river has changed its course since Roman times, and 
has therefore carried away the greater part of the bridge, which must 
have been of considerable size. All that remains on the left bank is a 
pier with part of one arch, which I should be inclined to consider as 
a mediaeval restoration. After crossing a modern road we come to the 
Muro del Peccato, an inclined causeway nearly 600 feet in length, sup- 
ported by walls of opus quadratum of tufa on each side. There are nineteen 
courses at the highest point, each 0°59 m. in height (thus giving a total 
height of 11:20 m.), composed of alternating headers (0°55 m. wide) and 
stretchers (1°90 m. wide). 
The courses are inclined in order to follow the upward slope, and the 
joints are not always vertical. A little mortar is used, but is not universal. 
