V I A 



V I A 



Via. Solh, the Sun's JVay, in AJInnamy, is ufed, among 

 fome aftronomers, for the ecliptic line ; fo called, becaufe 

 the fun never goes out of it. 



Via, Turreta Chica, in Ancient Geography, a place of 

 Africa, in the eaftern part of Mauritania Ciefarienlis, 

 lltuated on the fea-coaft, fome miles W, of Icofium, in 

 which are the remains of fome Roman walls and ciilerns. 



Via, Uila, a river of Hifpania Citerior, which ran from 

 the N.E. to the S.W., paffedby Iria Flavia, and difchargcd 

 itfelf into the fea. 



Via Appia. See Appian IVay, and ViiE Romanx. 



Via Domitiana, took its name from Domitian, by whofe 

 orders it was executed. It detached itfelf from the Appian 

 way at a fmall diftance from Sinuefla, on the fpot now 

 called Mont-Dragone. This way opened under a trium- 

 phal arch, which was richly ornamented with marbles and 

 metals, and paffed along the fea by Vulturnum, Liternum, 

 Cums, and Bayse to Puteoli. 



Via Curia, a Roman way marked by Dionyfius of Hali- 

 carnaflus.in the Sabine territory, on which were the follow- 

 ing towns, -viz. Curfula, 80 ftadia from Reate, and Ifla 

 near Curfalin. Some have reprefented this as the fame with 

 the Latin way. 



V'lA Quinlia, which, according to Dion. Hal., belonged 

 to the Sabines. Holilenius fuggefts that it was the fame 

 with the Via Salaria. Dion. Halic. places upon this way 

 Palatium, 25 ttadia from Reate ; Trebula, 60 ftadia from 

 Palatium ; Vefpola, 60 ftadia from Trebula; Sima, 40 ftadia 

 from Vefpola ; Mephyle, 30 ftadia from Sana ; and Orvi- 

 iiium, 40 ftadia from Mephyle. 



Vi^ff; Roman/c, or Roman Ways, were pubHc roads on 

 which the ancient Romans imprefled marks of grandeur and 

 celebrity, as well as of utility, that have not been altogether 

 effaced during an interval of more than 2000 years. In 

 the coullruftion of thefe roads they began with making a 

 deep excavation, on each fide of which they ere£led walls, 

 and on thefe walls formed a parapet. The fpace between 

 the walls was filled with layers of different materials, one of 

 which was mortar made of the volcanic produce called 

 puzzolano. Above thefe they placed the hardeft ftones 

 which they could procure, and which ihey faftened toge- 

 ther by an intf:rmediate cement ; and the faliar.t angles 

 were lo conltrutled as to form a large mafs. The elevated 

 parapet ferved not only to give folidity to the way, but to 

 afford a convenient feat for thofe who travelled on foot ; 

 and at certain intervals they placed ftones of a greater 

 height, which ferved for the convenience of horfemen. On 

 ihefc ways they had temples and monuments, which con- 

 tributed to their ornament ; and the diftances were marked 

 on columns of ftone. Originally they marked the diftance- 

 of any place from a column in the city of Rome ; but in 

 procefs of time they noted the diftance from the capital of 

 the province, or from any other town which they felefted 

 for this purpofe. The firft of thefe Roman ways was the 

 Appian way, wMch commenced at the gate of Rome bearing 

 this denomination, and took a S.S.E. diredlion. To the 

 right commenced the Via Ardeaiina, which proceeded from 

 the fouth as far as Ardea, almoft perpendicularly to the 

 meridian. Within the compafs of Rome, at the foot of 

 mount Ccelius, and to the left of the Appian way, com- 

 menced the Via Latina, the direftion of which was to the S.E. 

 At feren miles and a half commenced, to the left of the Latin 

 way, the Via Tufculana. To the E. commenced the way, 

 which, in the city, bore the name of Via Sacra- From this 

 way, in the interiorof the city, proceeded the Via Campana 

 towards the S.E. The Via Labicana has an almoft S.E. 

 Jiretliou, Towards the Z. is the Via PraiielUna. To 



the left of this way, about the fifth mile from Rome, is tlie 

 Via Collatina. Towards the N.E. the firft way is the 

 Via Tiburtina, pafting, as its name indicates, to the Tiber. 

 The fecond is the Via Nomentana, proceeding towards the 

 N.E. to the tenth mile, and then turning direftly north- 

 wards to Nomentum. The third is the Via Salaria, which 

 is detached to the Colline gate from the left of the Nomen- 

 tane way, and proceeding dire£lly towards the N. as far as 

 the eighth mile, rejoins the fame way at Eretum. It is 

 called Salaria, from the fait which the Romans ufed to 

 bring to Rome along this way from the fea. It was 

 through the gate Salaria that the Gauls entered Rome, 

 under the command of their leader Brennus, when that city 

 was firft taken by them. Towards the N.W. the firft way 

 is the Via Lata, which formerly turning by the Capitohne 

 mount, paffed by the ancient triumphal gate. This way 

 afterwards alTumed the name of Flaminia. The fecond is 

 the Via Claudia, which advanced towards the N.W. ; and at 

 the fjxth mile proceeded the third way in this direftion, or 

 the Via Cajfta, which proceeded to Veii. The fourth way 

 is the Via Triumphalis, which at the ninth mile joined the 

 Claudian way. The fifth bore the name of Via Cornelia, 

 which proceeded by the W. \ N. to the tenth mile ; and 

 the lixth was the Via Aurelia, which left Rome at the gate 

 ot Janiculum, and proceeded a little towards the S.W., 

 but changing its diredlion towards the N.W. it gained the 

 fea-coaft, along which it purfued its courfe. 



Towards the S.W. the lirft way was the Via Portuenfis, 

 fo called, as well as the gate by which it left the city, from 

 their leading to the place called Portusnfis, now called by 

 corruption " Villa Portefe." It paffed by the S.E. and 

 joined the route which followed the windings of the Tiber 

 under the name of Via LittoraUs, which laft advanced to the 

 " Portus Augufti." The fecond was the Via UJlrenJis, 

 which paffed N.W. of the Circus Maximus, and crofling the 

 Almo at the gates of Rome, it turned to the S.^V. towards 

 Oftia. The third way commenced five miles and a half on 

 this way towards the left, under the name of Via Laurentina, 

 which proceeded to the S. as far as Laurentum. We have 

 above enumerated twenty-one ways or roads, which feparat- 

 ing at the centre of Rome extended more or lefs to different 

 parts of Italy. Bergier, to whom we are indebted for this 

 detail on the Roman roads, proceeds, after having furveyed 

 them at and near Rome, to trace their length and direftion 

 in various parts of Italy. 



The military ways proceeding immediately from the gates 

 of Rome, according to the table of Peutinger, and recorded 

 in hiftory, are eleven, agreeably to the following arrange- 

 ment : •yiz. Via Flaminia, Salaria, Numentana, Tiburtina, 

 Prtenejlina, Lavicana, Latina, Appia, Hojlienjis, Aurelia, and 

 Triumphalis. 



The conftruftion of the Flaminian road is afcribed by 

 fome authors to Flaminius, who was killed at the battle of 

 the lake of Thralymene, under the confulate of Lucius 

 Veturius and Caius Lutatius, in the year of Rome 533 ; 

 but Strabo afcribes this work to the fon of this Flaminius, 

 and he fays exprefsly that he formed two grand roads in 

 Italy, one from Rome to Ariminium ( Rimini 1 , called Via 

 Flaminia; and anotner from Ariminium to Bononia (Bo- 

 logna), and to Aquileia, which was denominated Via 

 Emilia. The diftance from Rome to Rimini, according to 

 the Itinerary of Antonine, was 222 Roman miles ; but 

 according to the table of Peutinger, 194 miles. Hiftory 

 records nine military ways which parted from the Via 

 Flaminia; and of all thefe ways, that called Via Emilia 

 was the moft ancient, the moft known, and the grandeft 

 of all J its length furpaffed that of the Flaminian way, and 



it 



