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He there states the number of the Compita, which are supposed to mean the cross-streets intersecting the main lines, at 265. On the fragments of the Marble Plan of Rome, which was found on the back wall of the Temple of Roma, and is of the date of the third century, the work of Septimius Severus, numerous lines of streets are given. Some of these streets, and those best known in history, are traceable from the central milestone of Augustus; a round base of brick, standing on the western side of the Arch of Septimius Severus, is believed to represent the exact site of this column. From it the remains of an ancient paved street may be seen ascending to the Capitol; it passes between two blocks of tufa stone which formed the jambs of a gate to the citadel above it. At this point the street divides into two parts, going in different directions; the right-hand branch, which is seven yards and a-half wide, passed between the column of Phocas, still standing, and the great building called the Basilica Julia, and thus separated the latter from the eastern side of the Forum Romanum. Further to the south it touched the base of the Temple of the Dioscuri, to which belongs the group of the three celebrated columns still standing; here it bifurcated, the right-hand branch turning off to the Forum Boarium, through the Arch of Janus Quadrifrons, under which it passed. One branch went along the north-east side of the Circus Maximus, and part of it may still be seen under the church of S. Anastasia, originally under the lower gallery of the Circus. This branch, keeping in the low ground of the valley, was called Infima Nova Via. The left-hand branch also divided, one branch to the right ascending up a steep incline to the Palatine, where the pavement remains well preserved under the portico of the palace usually assigned to Caligula, on the Clivus Victoriæ.

• This was the Porta Saturnia, and close to it is the Templum Saturni, used as entrances to the Ærarium, or State treasury.

We now return to the second street, issuing from the gate of the Capitol on the left-hand, or towards the south-east: it passed under the Arch of Septimius Severus, where the ancient pavement is visible, and ran in a straight line along the edge of the Forum Romanum in front of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, A.D. 165, at the same level as under the arch. The bases of the columns of that temple have been excavated, and are left visible; they stand at the top of a flight of steps which led down into an ancient street. The difference of level between the old Forum and the modern streets is brought out very clearly here, and there is no denying that the Forum was at the level of the old foss-ways. A branch then leaves the straight line in an easterly direction, or to the left, but the main street, or Via Sacra, continues from the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina to the Temple of Romulus, now the church of SS. Cosmas and Damian, then up the Clivus Sacer, past the great Basilica of Constantine and the Arch of Titus, on to the Summa Sacra Via. The ground here forms a large level platform on the Sub-Velia, beyond which it slopes downwards again towards the Colosseum.

To return to the other, or left-hand branch of the road, called Nova Via, which we left near the temple, the three columns of which are still standing, it passed along the right-hand, or south-west side of the Forum, and under the cliff of the Palatine, and so onwards to the Arch of Titus: at its highest elevation it was called Summa Nova Via, and it then formed the clivus or sloping road from that arch to the Colosseum; and branching off to the right, a continuation of it descended to the valley between the Palatine and the Cœlian, passing under the Arch of Constantine, and proceeded to the Circus Maximus on the

► The eastern division of the Via Sacra is fully discussed under Forum Romanum.

right and the Porta Capena on the left. The formation of the Nova Via is attributed to Augustus, but there must have been a roadway on both sides of the Forum previous to his time. He therefore probably restored and improved it, but it is not mentioned in the catalogue of his public works engraved upon the tablet called Monumentum Ancyranum.

From the streets within the walls we pass on to those Viæ leading to the provinces, which began their course from the gates of Rome. No works produced by the Romans were more celebrated than their long roads, by which they could communicate with all the principal cities in the world as then known; so that it became a true proverb, that "All roads lead to Rome." The mere inspection of their remains sufficiently shews that there is no exaggeration in the statements of foreigners like Strabo and Dionysius, in expressing their admiration of these great undertakings. Vitruvius the architect gives minute details of the method of constructing a regular paved road. Where there was no natural foundation of rock, an artificial one was formed in three several layers, and uppermost of all was laid the course of basalt in polygonal blocks, most nicely fitted in and smoothed on the surface. Such paved roads still exist, and are used daily in Italy, which have not been touched by the hand of man, because they needed no repairs, for far over a thousand years. In enumerating the roads we begin at the north end, and pass round eastward, marking the point of issue of each from the walls, so as to connect the topography of the city with the geography of the provinces.

The Via Flaminia, or great north road, was commenced by C. Flaminius in his censorship, B.C. 220, the same who built the Circus Flaminius. It left the city of Servius by the Porta Ratumena, which stood on the agger connecting the Capitoline with the Quirinal, just within the spot where still stands the tomb of Bibulus in the modern street. In its course across the Campus Martius it passed by the Mausoleum of Augustus, and reaching the outer line of defence, issued by the Porta Flaminia. Running nearly due north from the walls, it crossed over the Tiber by the Pons Mulvius, or Milvius, celebrated in Belisarius' sallies against the Goths, who had a camp there. Near the bridge the Via Cassia turned off from the Flaminia to the left, and ran through Etruria from south to north. The Via Clodia, or Claudia, also branched from the Cassia, and keeping to the south of it, went to the Lacus Sabatinus. Cicero describes the journey to Mutina, or Modena, as open to his choice by any of the three roads, Flaminia, Cassia, or Aurelia. After leaving the shore of the Adriatic, the Flaminian was continued under the name of Via Emilia, and went to Milan, and so on throughout Gallia Cisalpina, with numerous branches, as far east as Aquileia on the Adriatic, and west as the Graian Alps.

The Via Salaria, the next road eastward, issued from the city of Servius by the Porta Collina, at the northernmost end of that king's agger, and passed through the outer line of defence at the Porta Salaria. It led out to the old town of Antemnæ, and crossing the Anio by the fine Ponte Salaro, blown up by the Pontifical army in fear of Garibaldi, but now restored to use, went north-easterly, and is still to be recognised in the old road to Monte Rotondo; ultimately it crossed to the coast of the Adriatic at Ancona.

The Via Nomentana left the city of the Kings by the same Colline Gate, and passed out of the Imperial wall by the Porta Nomentana, still traceable on the outside of that wall. It went to Nomentum of the Sabines in the direction of the Mons Lucretilis. It crossed the Anio, two miles from Rome, by the picturesque bridge, Ponte Nomentano, still visible. Its pavement also may be seen at six miles from the city. Beyond Nomentum it joined the Via Salaria.

The Via Tiburtina began at the Porta Viminalis of the Kings, and passed through the outer wall by the Porta Tiburtina. Another branch of the same road passed out by the closed gate on the south side of the Prætorian Camp. Before its juncture with the first road, it goes through a deep cutting near the wall, where it is called Via Cupa, the hollow way. To this sunk road, and to others to the right and left of it, the passage in Livy, lib. xxvi., has been referred, relating that the Consuls concealed a body of deserters in ambush in the Viæ Cave, between the Anio and the walls, to defend the city against Hannibal. After passing Tibur, or Tivoli, it continued northeast across the Apennines to the Adriatic, as the Via Valeria; and another branch, Via Sublacensis, continued up the valley of the Anio to Sublaqueum, Subiaco, the region of the sources of the great aqueducts.

The Via Prænestina is the next road on the eastern side. It left the city of the Kings by the Porta Esquilina; and issuing through the outer wall by the Porta Prænestina, the modern Porta Maggiore, led to Præneste, now Palestrina. But the first portion of this road was originally the Via Gabina. Gabii is eleven miles from Rome, and is interesting as shewing a good deal of its ancient fortifications, and illustrating very well the idea of a primitive walled hill-town. From the same gate went the Via Labicana to Labicum, now La Colonna. Both these roads fell afterwards into the important Via Latina. At a little over eight miles from the gate, on the Via Gabina, is a very fine ancient bridge, 320 feet long, called the Ponte di Nono. It has seven arches of large squared blocks of Lapis Gabinus or Sperone stone, and of red tufa, with

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