The Appian Way: Ghost Road, Queen of Roads (Culture Trails: Adventures in Travel)

The Roman poet Statius called the via Appia “the Queen of Roads,” and for nearly a thousand years that description held true, as countless travelers trod its path from the center of Rome to the heel of Italy. Today, the road is all but gone, destroyed by time, neglect, and the incursions of modernity; to travel the Appian Way today is to be a seeker, and to walk in the footsteps of ghosts. Our guide to those ghosts—and the layers of history they represent—is Robert A. Kaster. In __The Appian Way__, he brings a lifetime of studying Roman literature and history to his adventures along the ancient highway. A footsore Roman soldier pushing the imperial power south; craftsmen and farmers bringing their goods to the towns that lined the road; pious pilgrims headed to Jerusalem, using stage-by-stage directions we can still follow—all come to life once more as Kaster walks (and drives—and suffers car trouble) on what’s left of the Appian Way. Other voices help him tell the story: Cicero, Goethe, Hawthorne, Dickens, James, and even Monty Python offer commentary, insight, and curmudgeonly grumbles, their voices blending like the ages of the road to create a telescopic, perhaps kaleidoscopic, view of present and past. To stand on the remnants of the Via Appia today is to stand in the pathway of history. With __The Appian Way__, Kaster invites us to close our eyes and walk with him back in time, to the campaigns of Garibaldi, the revolt of Spartacus, and the glory days of Imperial Rome. No traveler will want to miss this fascinating journey. The eminent classicist delivers “an evocative history of Europe’s first great road” from Rome to the heel of Italy in this “slim but evocative volume” ( The Guardian , UK). The 1st century Roman poet Statius called the Via Appia “the Queen of Roads,” and for nearly a thousand years that description held true, as countless travelers trod its path from the center of Rome to the Southern Italian city of Brindisi. Today, the road is all but gone, destroyed by time, neglect, and the incursions of modernity; to travel the Appian Way today is to walk in the footsteps of ghosts. In The Appian Way , Robert A. Kaster is our guide to those ghosts—and the layers of history they represent. A footsore Roman soldier pushing the imperial power south; craftsmen and farmers bringing their goods to the towns that lined the road; pious pilgrims headed to Jerusalem, using stage-by-stage directions that can still be followed—all come to life once more as Kaster journeys along what’s left of the Appian Way. Other voices help him tell the story: Cicero, Goethe, Hawthorne, Dickens, James, and even Monty Python offer commentary and insight. With The Appian Way , Kaster invites us to close our eyes and walk with him back in time, to the campaigns of Garibaldi, the revolt of Spartacus, and the glory days of Imperial Rome. The Roman poet Statius called the Via Appia "the Queen of Roads," and for nearly a thousand years that description held true, as countless travelers trod its path from the center of Rome to the heel of Italy. Today, the road is all but gone. This book deals with the author's adventures along this ancient highway. Queen Of Roads: Rome And The Appian Way -- Ghost Road: Italy And The Appian Way -- Epilogue: Mullet In Tusculum -- Advice For The Traveler. Robert A. Kaster. Describes travel down the Appian Way while analyzing the meaning of the road in modern and ancient context