Via Latina

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The Via Latina, or the "Latin Way", was a Roman road of Italy, running southeast from Rome for about 200 km.

It led to the pass of Mons Algidus, so important in the early military history of Rome; and it must have preceded the Via Appia as a route to Campania, in as much as the Latin colony at Cales was founded in 334 BC and must have been accessible from Rome by road, whereas the Via Appia was only made twenty-two years later. It follows, too, a far more natural line of communication, without the engineering difficulties which the Via Appia had to encounter. As a through route it no doubt preceded the Via Labicana, though the latter may have been preferred in later times.

After their junction, the Via Latina continued to follow the valley of the Trerus (Sacco), following the line taken by the modern railway to Naples, and passing below the Hernican hill-towns, Anagnia, Ferentinum, Frusino, etc. At Fregellae it crossed the Liris, and then passed through Aquinum and Casinum, both of them comparatively low-lying towns. It then entered the interval between the Apennines and the volcanic group of Rocca Monfina, and the original road, instead of traversing it, turned abruptly N.E. over the mountains to Venafrum, thus giving a direct communication with the interior of Samnium by roads to Aesernia and Telesia.

In later times, however, there was in all probability a short cut by Rufrae along the line taken by the modern highroad and railway. The two lines rejoined near the present railway station of Caianiello and the road ran to Teanum and Cales, and so to Casilinum, where was the crossing of the Volturnus and the junction with the Via Appia.

The distance from Rome to Casilinum was 129 miles (208 km) by the Via Appia, 135 miles (217 km) by the old Via Latina through Venafrum, 126 miles (203 km) by the short cut by Rufrae. Considerable remains of the road exist in the neighborhood of Rome; for the first 40 miles (64 km), as far as Compitum Anagninum, it is not followed by any modern road; while farther on in its course it is in the main identical with the modern highroad.

[edit] References

• T. Ashby in Papers of the British School at Rome iv. I sq., v. 1 sq.
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.