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93-551: The earliest human presence in the area of Ascoli Satriano dates from around the 9th century BC, according to archaeological evidence, and similar dated earthworks are common in the area. It was a small village eventually on a branch of the Appian Way in Apulia , South East Italy . Asculum was a town of the Dauni , a warlike tribe. Two battles were fought there. Asculum gave effective help to

186-569: A swamp infested with malaria . A tortuous coastal road wound between Ostia at the mouth of the Tiber and Neapolis . The Via Latina followed its ancient and scarcely more accessible path along the foothills of Monti Laziali and Monti Lepini , which are visible towering over the former marsh. In the First Samnite War (343–341 BC) the Romans found they could not support or resupply troops in

279-538: A Saturnalia gift (4.9). As with the Thebaid , Statius's relationship to Domitian and his court caused him to fall out of favor with critics and readers, but in recent times, the Silvae have been rehabilitated by scholars. Domitian is an important presence in the Silvae , and many of the poems appear to flatter the emperor and court. The content of the Silvae is primarily dictated by the needs of Statius's patrons , and many of

372-522: A champion in the poetic contests at Naples in the Augustalia and in the Nemean , Pythian , and Isthmian games , which served as important events to display poetic skill during the early empire. Statius declares in his lament for his father ( Silv. 5.3) that his father was in his time equal to any literary task, whether in prose or verse. He mentioned Mevania , and may have spent time there, or been impressed by

465-550: A colony at Cales in 334 BC and again at Fregellae in 328 BC on the other side of the marshes. The Samnites, now a major power after defeating the Greeks of Tarentum , occupied Neapolis to try to ensure its loyalty. The Neapolitans appealed to Rome, which sent an army and expelled the Samnites from Neapolis. In 312 BC, Appius Claudius Caecus became censor at Rome. He was of the gens Claudia , who were patricians descended from

558-480: A dedicatory epistle. Of nearly four thousand lines which the books contain, more than five-sixths are hexameters . Four of the pieces are written in the hendecasyllabic metre, and there is one Alcaic and one Sapphic ode. Subjects of the Silvae vary widely. Five poems are devoted to the emperor and his favorites, including a description of Domitian 's equestrian statue in the Forum (1.1), praise for his construction of

651-508: A flat surface. The historian Procopius said that the stones fit together so securely and closely that they appeared to have grown together rather than to have been fitted together. The road was cambered in the middle (for water runoff) and had ditches on either side of the road which were protected by retaining walls. The road began in the Forum Romanum , passed through the Servian Wall at

744-422: A fourth book' at Naples, which was published in 95. During this period at Naples, Statius maintained his relations with the court and his patrons, earning himself another invitation to a palace banquet ( Silv. 4.2). He seems to have taken an interest in the marriage and career of his stepdaughter and, being childless, he also took under his wing a young slave boy, who died c. 95. In that same year Statius embarked on

837-467: A model (in the epilogue he acknowledges his debt to Virgil), but he also refers to a wide range of sources in his handling of meter and episodes. The poem's theme is the myth of the Seven against Thebes , the story of the battle between the sons of Oedipus for the throne of Thebes . The poem opens (Book 1) with the disgraced Oedipus' curse on his two sons, Eteocles and Polyneices , who have decided to hold

930-762: A model of the "new vernacular Christian Dante-poeta" in Dante's journey in the Comedy as a protagonist. Statius's arrival in Purgatorio 20 is often compared to Jesus' appearance to the disciples after the Resurrection as narrated by Luke 24:13–16. Scholars have also paralleled Virgil's and Statius's relationship to that of John the Baptist and Jesus : John the Baptist precedes Jesus and formally baptizes him. In Inferno , Virgil alludes to Christ's Harrowing of Hell , through which John

1023-521: A new epic, the Achilleid , giving popular recitations of his work (Juv. 7.83) only to complete a book and a half before dying in 95, leaving the poem unfinished. His fifth book of Silvae were published after his death c. 96. As a poet, Statius was versatile in his abilities and contrived to represent his work as otium . Taught by his educated father, Statius was familiar with the breadth of classical literature and displayed his learning in his poetry which

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1116-497: A noble woman, placing her among the virtuous pagans in Limbo. Capaneus , who is at the center of the Thebaid ' s tragic theme, is placed in the third ring of the seventh circle of Dis , where those who committed sins of violence against the God are condemned. However, Statius' Capaneus is represented as a heroic character, whereas in the Comedy his only attributes are physical strength and

1209-542: A result. Pyrrhus withdrew to Greece, where he died in a street fight in Argos in 272 BC. Tarentum fell to the Romans that same year, who proceeded to consolidate their rule over all of Italy. The Romans pushed the Via Appia to the port of Brundisium in 264 BC. The itinerary from Beneventum was now Aeculanum , Forum Aemilii  [ it ] , Venusia , Silvium , Tarentum, Uria and Brundisium. The Roman Republic

1302-638: Is also a "negative exemplum" to Dante. This is because Statius shunned from publicly revealing his Christianity, contrary to Dante, who publicly writes about his faith in the Divine Comedy . In addition to Statius himself, characters drawn from his works are also found in the Divine Comedy . Argia , who was a character in Statius' Thebaid and wife of Polynices , is referred to in the line "of your people" ( de le genti tue ) in Purg . 22 109–110. Dante considers her to be

1395-465: Is densely allusive and has been described as elaborate and mannerist. He was able to compose in hexameter , hendecasyllable , Alcaic , and Sapphic meters, to produce deeply researched and highly refined epic and polished impromptu pieces, and to treat a variety of themes with the dazzling rhetorical and poetic skill that inspired the support of his patrons and the emperor. Some of Statius's works, such as his poems for his competitions, have been lost; he

1488-442: Is divided into twelve books in imitation of Virgil 's Aeneid and is composed in dactylic hexameter. In the Silvae , Statius speaks of his extensive work in polishing and revising the Thebaid and his public recitations of the poem. From the epilogue it seems clear that Statius considered the Thebaid to be his magnum opus and believed that it would secure him fame for the future. In the poem, Statius follows Virgil closely as

1581-573: Is in the second mile of the road. Along or close to the part of the road closest to Rome, there are three catacombs of Roman and early Christian origin and one of Jewish origin . The construction of Rome's ring road, the Grande Raccordo Anulare or GRA, in 1951 caused the Appian Way to be cut in two. More recent improvements to the GRA have rectified this through the construction of a tunnel under

1674-565: Is known of the biography of Statius. Born c. 45 CE, he grew up in the Greek cultural milieu of the Bay of Naples , and his Greek literary education lends a sophisticated veneer to his ornamental verse. From his boyhood he won several poetic contests at his native Naples and three times at the Alban Festival, where he received the golden crown from the hand of the emperor Domitian , who had instituted

1767-426: Is last mentioned in Purgatorio 33. Although Statius plays a small role after the disappearance of Virgil, his presence in accompanying Dante through Earthly Paradise until the rivers of Lethe and Eunoe serves an important role in the plot line of the Comedy , as it underscores Statius's significant difference from Virgil. This is because Dante's Statius, a Christian poet who drew inspiration from Virgil, represents

1860-523: Is no surprise that, after his term as censor, Appius Claudius became consul twice, subsequently held other offices, and was a respected consultant to the state even during his later years. The road achieved its purpose. The outcome of the Second Samnite War was at last favorable to Rome. In a series of blows the Romans reversed their fortunes, bringing Etruria to the table in 311 BC, the very year of their revolt, and Samnium in 304 BC. The road

1953-519: Is recorded as having written an Agave mime, and a four line fragment remains of his poem on Domitian's military campaigns, the De Bello Germanico composed for the Alban Games in the scholia to Juvenal 4.94. Based on Statius's own testimony, the Thebaid was written between c. 80 and 92, beginning when the poet was around 35, and the work is thought to have been published in 91 or 92. The poem

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2046-510: The Sabines taken into the early Roman state. He had been given the name of the founding ancestor of the gens, Appius Claudius (Attus Clausus in Sabine). He was a populist , i.e., an advocate of the common people. A man of discernment and perception, in the years of success he was said to have lost his outer vision and thus acquired the name caecus , "blind". Without waiting to be told what to do by

2139-648: The Senate , Appius Claudius began bold public works to address the supply problem. An aqueduct (the Aqua Appia ) secured the water supply of the city of Rome. By far the best known project was the road, which ran across the Pontine Marshes to the coast northwest of Naples , where it turned north to Capua. On it, any number of fresh troops could be sped to the theatre of operations, and supplies could be moved en masse to Roman bases without hindrance by either enemy or terrain. It

2232-557: The Social War the city took the Italian side against Rome, and the end of that war, at the Battle of Asculum (89 BC) , the victorious Romans besieged the town, starved it to surrender, executed the adult male prisoners by flogging and decapitation, and burned the town. Those noncombatants who survived were left to wander without support. The Roman general responsible, Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo , gained

2325-453: The Thebaid and his abstract treatment of the gods has been seen as an important innovation in the tradition of classical poetry which ushered in Medieval conventions. Finally, although earlier scholars criticized the style of the poem as episodic, current scholars have noted the subtlety and skill with which Statius organizes and controls his narrative and description. Other topics discussed in

2418-479: The Thebaid have been divided over interpretations of the epic's tone. Earlier critics in the 19th and 20th century considered the poem a piece of elaborate flattery that vindicated the regime of Domitian; however, more recent scholars have viewed the poem as a subversive work that criticizes the authoritarianism and violence of the Flavians by focusing on extreme violence and social chaos. Statius' use of allegory in

2511-480: The Trojan War , attempts to hide Achilles on the island of Scyros by dressing him up as a girl. On the island, Achilles falls in love with Deidamia and forces her to have sex with him. Ulysses arrives to recruit Achilles for the war effort and reveals his identity. In the second book, Ulysses and Achilles depart and Achilles gives an account of his early life and tutelage by the centaur Chiron . The poem breaks off at

2604-715: The Via Aemilia  [ it ] , then the Via Minucia  [ it ] , finally the emperor Trajan built the Via Traiana , a branch of the Via Appia from Beneventum, reaching Brundisium via Canusium and Barium rather than via Tarentum. This was commemorated by an arch at Beneventum. Travellers could cross the Adriatic Sea through the Otranto Strait towards Albania either by landing at present day Durrës through

2697-653: The Via Egnatia or near the ancient town of Apollonia and continue towards present day Rrogozhinë in central Albania. In 73 BC, a slave revolt (known as the Third Servile War ) under the ex-gladiator of Capua, Spartacus , began against the Romans. Slaves accounted for roughly every third person in Italy. Spartacus defeated many Roman armies in a conflict that lasted for over two years. While trying to escape from Italy at Brundisium he unwittingly moved his forces into

2790-524: The Via Latina . By 290 BC, the sovereignty of the Samnites had ended. The heel of Italy lay open to the Romans. The dates are somewhat uncertain and there is considerable variation in the sources, but during the Third Samnite War the Romans seem to have extended the road to Venusia , where they placed a colony of 20,000 men. After that they were at Tarentum. Roman expansion alarmed Tarentum,

2883-602: The bombing of Foggia in 1943, Ascoli Satriano was freed by British and American forces. Ascoli Satriano was mentioned by the Irish writer James Joyce in his novel Ulysses . After the Second World War, Ascoli Satriano, close to Cerignola, was the center of significant labor struggles against landlordism , sharecropping and low wages, and strikes, demonstrations and land occupations became frequent. Trade unionists and politicians made passionate speeches to organize to support

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2976-658: The porta Capena , went through a cutting in the clivus Martis , and left the city. For this stretch of the road, the builders used the Via Latina. The building of the Aurelian Wall centuries later required the placing of another gate, the Porta Appia . Outside of Rome the new Via Appia went through well-to-do suburbs along the Via Norba, the ancient track to the Alban hills , where Norba

3069-508: The Appia, so that it is now possible to follow the Appia on foot for about 16 km (10 mi) from its beginning near the Baths of Caracalla . Many parts of the original road beyond Rome's environs have been preserved, and some are now used by cars (for example, in the area of Velletri ). The road inspires the last movement of Ottorino Respighi 's Pini di Roma . To this day the Via Appia contains

3162-499: The Appian Way in that region. In the first half of the 20th century, the professor of ancient Roman topography Giuseppe Lugli managed to discover, with the then-innovative technique of photogrammetry , what probably was the route of the Appian Way from Gravina in Puglia ( Silvium ) up to Taranto . When analysing aerophotogrammetric shots of the area, Lugli noticed a path ( Italian : tratturo ) named la Tarantina , whose direction

3255-505: The Appian Way station. More recently Luciano Piepoli, based on the distances given in the Antonine Itinerary and on newer archeological findings, has suggested that Silvium should be Santo Staso , an area very close to Gravina in Puglia , Blera should be masseria Castello , and Sublupatia should be masseria Caione . Since the latter stretch of the Appian Way turned out to be very impervious, some branches were created: first

3348-522: The Baptist is freed from Limbo. In the same spirit, Statius cites Virgil's poems as the reason for his conversion to Christianity. In particular, Statius was saved from the vice of prodigality by reading Virgil's condemnation of this particular vice in a passage of the Aeneid ( Aeneid 3.56–57), and that he found reason for converting to Christianity while reading a passage from Virgil's Eclogues (Eclogue 4.5–7). Statius recounts to Virgil that, "through you I

3441-543: The Middle Ages, the Thebaid remained a popular text, inspiring a 12th-century French romance as well as works by Boccaccio and Chaucer . Statius's development of allegory helped establish the importance of that technique in medieval poetry. In the Renaissance, the Silvae, thanks to Poliziano , helped inspire an entire genre of collections of miscellaneous, occasional poetry called Sylvae which remained popular throughout

3534-476: The Roman state. They were responsible for changing Rome from a primarily Etruscan to a primarily Italic state. Dense populations of sovereign Samnites remained in the mountains north of Capua, which is just north of the Greek city of Neapolis . Around 343 BC, Rome and Capua attempted to form an alliance. The Samnites reacted with military force. Between Capua and Rome lay the Pontine Marshes ( Pomptinae paludes ),

3627-593: The Romans at the first Battle of Asculum in 279 BC, which was the first of King Pyrrhus of Epirus 's Pyrrhic victory against the Roman Republic during the Pyrrhic War . This was followed by the Battle of Asculum (209 BC) , during the Second Punic War , in which Hannibal defeated a Roman army commanded by Marcus Claudius Marcellus in an indecisive battle. The Battle of Canusium also took place nearby. In

3720-486: The Romans, he won a second costly victory at the Battle of Asculum . Withdrawing from Apulia for a Sicilian interlude, he returned to Apulia in 275 BC and started for Campania up the Roman road. Supplied by that same road, the Romans successfully defended the region against Pyrrhus, crushing his army in a two-day fight at the Battle of Beneventum in 275 BC. The Romans renamed the town from "Maleventum" ("site of bad events") to Beneventum ("site of good events") as

3813-520: The Samnite Wars. The distance was 212 kilometers (132 mi). The original road had no milestones, as they were not yet in use. A few survive from later times, including a first milestone near the Porta Appia. The Third Samnite War (298–290 BC) is perhaps misnamed. It was an all-out attempt by all the neighbors of Rome: Italics, Etruscans and Gauls , to check the power of Rome. The Samnites were

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3906-498: The Thebans and escapes to Argos, causing Adrastus and Polyneices to declare war on Thebes (Book 3). In the fourth book the Argive forces gather, commanded by the seven champions Adrastus, Polyneices, Amphiaraus , Capaneus , Parthenopaeus , Hippomedon , and Tydeus, and march to Thebes, but at Nemea , Bacchus causes a drought. The army meets Hypsipyle who shows them a spring then tells them

3999-489: The Via Domitiana (4.3), and a poem on the dedication of the hair of Earinus, a eunuch favorite of Domitian's, to a shrine of Aesculapius (3.4). Six are lamentations for deaths or consolations to survivors, including the highly personal poems on the death of Statius's father and his foster-son (5.3,5). The poems on loss are particularly notable in the collection and range from consolations on the death of wives (3.3) to pieces on

4092-454: The addressees come from the wealthy, privileged class of landowners and politicians. Statius's flattery of these elites has been interpreted in two ways by scholars; some maintain that the collection is highly subversive and is a subtle criticism of Domitian and the Roman aristocracy. Others urge a reading of the Silvae as individual pieces that respond to specific circumstances with their own unique viewpoints. A fragment of his epic poem on

4185-543: The best of it, the Roman army turned on Greek Rhegium and effected a massacre of Pyrrhian partisans there. Rather than pursue them, Pyrrhus went straight for Rome along the Via Appia and then the Via Latina. He knew that if he continued on the Via Appia he could be trapped in the marsh. Wary of such entrapment on the Via Latina also, he withdrew without fighting after encountering opposition at Anagni . Wintering in Campania , he withdrew to Apulia in 279 BC, where, pursued by

4278-477: The coastal road at Tarracina (Terracina). However, the Romans straightened it somewhat with cuttings, which form cliffs today. From there the road swerved north to Capua, where, for the time being, it ended. The Caudine Forks were not far to the north. The itinerary was Aricia (Ariccia), Tres Tabernae , Forum Appii , Tarracina, Fundi (Fondi), Formiae (Formia), Minturnae (Minturno), Suessa , Casilinum and Capua, but some of these were colonies added after

4371-528: The confrontation of Vitellius and Vespasian in 69. Statius's father was a Roman eques , but may have lost his status because of money troubles. At Naples, he was a teacher of Greek and Roman literature who attracted many pupils who were destined for religious offices in Rome. He died in 79 AD. From Pliny the Younger's Letters, it has recently been deduced that Statius also wrote under the pseudonym of Propertius. Less

4464-538: The contest. For the Alban Festival, Statius composed a poem on the German and Dacian campaigns of Domitian - which Juvenal lampoons in his seventh satire. Statius is thought to have moved to Rome c.  90 after his father's death in 79; there he published his acclaimed epic poem the Thebaid ( c.  92 ). In the capital, Statius seems to have made many connections among the Roman aristocracy and court, and he

4557-438: The coveted prize, a loss he took very hard. The disappointment may have prompted his return ( c.  94 ) to Naples, the home of his youth. There survives a poem he addressed on this occasion to his wife, Claudia (the widow of a famous singer) who had a musically talented daughter by her first husband, ( Silv. 3.5). Statius's first three books of the Silvae seem to have received some criticism, and in response he composed

4650-464: The death of Hippomedon and Parthenopaeus (Book 9). In 10, Juno causes sleep to overcome the Thebans and the Argives slaughter many in the camp; Menoeceus sacrifices himself to save Thebes and Jupiter kills the wicked Capaneus with a thunderbolt. In 11, Polyneices and Eteocles join in single combat and kill each other; Jocasta kills herself and Creon assumes power, forbidding burial of the Argive dead. In

4743-414: The death of a favorite parrot (2.4) and a lion in the arena (2.5). Another group of the Silvae give picturesque descriptions of the villas, gardens, and artworks of the poet's friends. In these we have a more vivid representation than elsewhere of the surroundings Roman aristocrats of the empire lived in the country. Important examples include a piece on Pollius's temple to Hercules (3.1), the aetiology of

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4836-515: The demands of the working classes in Piazza Cecco d'Ascoli (today Piazza Giovanni Paolo II). Appian Way The Appian Way ( Latin and Italian : Via Appia ) is one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic . It connected Rome to Brindisi , in southeast Italy . Its importance is indicated by its common name, recorded by Statius , of Appia longarum... regina viarum ("the Appian Way,

4929-460: The distances given in the Antonine Itinerary , Lugli also assigned the Appian Way stations Blera and Sublupatia (which also occurs on the Tabula Peutingeriana ) respectively to the areas Murgia Catena and Taverna (between masseria (estate farmhouse) S. Filippo and masseria S. Pietro). However, the toponym Murgia Catena defined too large an area, not allowing a clear localization of

5022-409: The end of his speech. In general, scholars have remarked on the markedly different tone of the Achilleid in comparison with the Thebaid , equating it more to the style of Ovid than Virgil. Some have also noted the predominance of feminine themes and feminine power in the fragment and focus on the poem's perspectives on gender relations. Statius's poetry was very popular in his lifetime, although he

5115-511: The field against the Samnites across the marsh. A revolt of the Latin League drained their resources further. They gave up the attempted alliance and settled with Samnium . The Romans were only biding their time while they looked for a solution. The first answer was the colonia , a "cultivation" of settlers from Rome, who would maintain a permanent base of operations. The Second Samnite War (327–304 BC) erupted when Rome attempted to place

5208-609: The fields were infested with malarial mosquitos until the advent of DDT in the 1950s). Hoping to break a stalemate at Monte Cassino , the Allies landed on the coast of Italy at the Anzio - Nettuno area – ancient Antium – which was midway between Ostia and Terracina . They found that the place was undefended. They intended to move along the line of the Via Appia to take Rome, outflanking Monte Cassino, but they did not do so quickly enough. The Germans occupied Mounts Laziali and Lepini along

5301-405: The final book, the Argive widows go to Athens to ask Theseus to force Creon to allow their husbands' burial while Argia , Polyneices's wife, burns him illicitly. Theseus musters an army and kills Creon. The Thebaid ends with an epilogue in which the poet prays that his poem will be successful, cautions it not to rival the Aeneid , and hopes that his fame will outlive him. Modern critics of

5394-594: The fourth and fifth centuries, many of the surrounding farms were abandoned with a retraction of cultivation and a re-growth of woodlands. In the mid-9th century the Saracens razed the city. In 1040 it rebelled against the Byzantines and, the following year, a decisive battle was fought nearby which granted the Normans control over southern Italy . An earthquake in 1456 totally destroyed Ascoli Satriano, and forced relocation of

5487-491: The fourth terrace of Purgatory, where the vice of sloth is cleansed. Dante presents Statius as the author of Thebaid and Achilleid and as someone who has a great admiration for Virgil. Statius remarks that Virgil's Aeneid "was my mama and my nurse" ( Purg . 21.98) to express Virgil as his inspiration. In Purgatorio , when Dante reveals Virgil's identity to Statius, Statius makes a failed attempt to embrace Virgil, which parallels with Aeneas 's failed attempt to embrace

5580-476: The gluttonous). Statius's redemption is heard in Purgatorio 20, when the mountain of Purgatory trembles and the penitent souls cry out the hymn " Gloria in excelsis Deo ". Statius joins Dante and Virgil, as indicated in Purgatorio 21. Statius ascends Mount Purgatory with Dante and Virgil, and he stays with Dante in the Earthly Paradise at the mountain's summit, after Virgil has returned to Limbo . Statius

5673-516: The historic trap at Apulia in Calabria . The Romans were well acquainted with the region. Legions were brought home from abroad and Spartacus was pinned between armies. The ex-slave army was defeated at the Siler River by Marcus Licinius Crassus . Pompey 's armies captured and killed several thousand rebels that escaped from the battle and Crassus captured several thousand more. The Romans judged that

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5766-473: The leading city of the Greek presence (Magna Graecia) in southern Italy. They hired the mercenary King Pyrrhus of Epirus in neighboring Greece to fight the Romans on their behalf. In 280 BC the Romans suffered a defeat at the hands of Pyrrhus at the Battle of Heraclea on the coast west of Tarentum . The battle was costly for both sides, prompting Pyrrhus to remark "One more such victory and I am lost." Making

5859-489: The leading people of the conspiracy. Rome dealt the northerners a crushing blow at the Battle of Sentinum in Umbria in 295. The Samnites fought on alone. Rome now placed 13 colonies in Campania and Samnium. It must have been during this time that they extended the Via Appia 35 miles beyond Capua past the Caudine Forks to a place the Samnites called Maloenton, "passage of the flocks". The itinerary added Calatia , Caudium and Beneventum (not yet called that). Here also ended

5952-425: The life of Achilles —the Achilleid —is also extant, consisting of one book and a few hundred lines of a second. What was completed of this poem was composed between 94 and 95 based on Silvae 4.7.21ff. Statius records that there were recitations of the poem. It is thought that Statius' death in 95 is the reason that the poem remains unfinished. In the first book, Thetis, having foreknowledge of her son's death in

6045-519: The longest stretch of straight road in Europe, totaling 62 km (39 mi). There are the remains of several Roman bridges along the road, including the Ponte di Tre Ponti, Ponte di Vigna Capoccio, Viadotta di Valle Ariccia, Ponte Alto and Ponte Antico. [REDACTED] Media related to Via Appia at Wikimedia Commons Statius Publius Papinius Statius ( Greek : Πόπλιος Παπίνιος Στάτιος; / ˈ s t eɪ ʃ i ə s / , Latin: [ˈstaːtiʊs] ; c.  45 – c.  96 )

6138-416: The nickname Carnifex ("Butcher"). Later Sulla established a military colony there. In the Roman period it became a small cluster of habitations in a wider network of scattered villas. Under the Roman Empire the economy was operated by slave labour and focused on grain cultivation. The large luxurious villa at Faragola was typical of a latifundium . As the Western Roman Empire began to collapse in

6231-436: The north of Florence . For the 1960 Summer Olympics , it served as part of the men's marathon course that was won by Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia . After the fall of the Western Roman Empire , the road fell out of use; Pope Pius VI ordered its restoration. A new Appian Way was built in parallel with the old one in 1784 as far as the Alban Hills region. The new road is the Via Appia Nuova ("New Appian Way") as opposed to

6324-414: The old section, now known as Via Appia Antica. The old Appian Way close to Rome is now a free tourist attraction. It was extensively restored for Rome's Millennium and Great Jubilee celebrations. The first 5 kilometers (3 mi) are still heavily used by cars, buses and coaches but from then on traffic is very light and the ruins can be explored on foot in relative safety. The Church of Domine Quo Vadis

6417-407: The period, inspiring works by Hugo Grotius and John Dryden . Dante mentions Statius in De vulgari eloquentia along with Ovid , Virgil and Lucan as one of the four regulati poetae (ii, vi, 7). In the Divine Comedy , Dante and Virgil meet Statius as they leave the fifth terrace in Purgatorio (reserved for the avaricious and the prodigal) and enter the sixth terrace (reserved for

6510-448: The poets Terence , Caecilius , Plautus and Lucius Varius are. Both Dante and Statius are curious about the souls in Hell and look to Virgil as a mentor. Furthermore, Dante's inventive portrayal of Statius embodies three elements of conversion important for the Comedy ' s tropology of exile. First, his conversion to Christianity symbolizes exodus as humanity was redeemed through Christ. Second, his aversion of vice exemplifies

6603-470: The queen of the long roads"). The road is named after Appius Claudius Caecus , the Roman censor who, during the Samnite Wars , began and completed the first section as a military road to the south in 312 BC. In July 2024, the Appian Way entered the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Appian Way was a Roman road used as a main route for military supplies for its conquest of southern Italy in 312 BC and for improvements in communication. The Appian Way

6696-654: The roads, was located, and extended to the borders of their domain – hence the expression, " All roads lead to Rome ". Romans had an affinity for the people of Campania , who, like themselves, traced their backgrounds to the Etruscans . The Samnite Wars were instigated by the Samnites when Rome attempted to ally itself with the city of Capua in Campania. The Italic speakers in Latium had long ago been subdued and incorporated into

6789-460: The scholarship on the Thebaid are the pervasive role of madness (furor), time, or the family. The Silvae were probably composed by Statius between 89 and 96. The first three books seem to have been published together after 93, Book 4 was probably released in 95, and Book 5 is thought to have been released posthumously in c. 96. The title of the collection ( silvae meaning "forest" or "raw material")

6882-401: The sea by sand dunes. Appius Claudius planned to drain the marsh, taking up earlier attempts, but he failed. The causeway and its bridges subsequently needed constant repair. In 162 BC, Marcus Cornelius Cathegus had a canal constructed along the road to relieve the traffic and provide an alternative when the road was being repaired. Romans preferred using the canal. The Via Appia picked up

6975-469: The shade of his father Anchises in Aeneid 6.700–2. Dante also adds inventive details about Statius's life to fit with the narrative of the Divine Comedy . In addition to being a foil for Virgil, Dante's creative freedom allows him to establish Statius as a reflection of himself. Both Statius's and Dante's salvation is facilitated by Virgil. Statius's conversations with Virgil parallel Dante's conversations with Virgil. For example, Statius asks Virgil where

7068-555: The slaves had forfeited their right to live. In 71 BC, 6,000 slaves were crucified along the 200-kilometer (120 mi) Via Appia from Rome to Capua. In 1943, during World War II , the Allies fell into the same trap Pyrrhus had retreated to avoid, in the Pomptine fields , the successor to the Pontine Marshes . The marsh remained, despite many efforts to drain it, until engineers working for Benito Mussolini finally succeeded (even so,

7161-408: The soul's conversion from sin to grace. Third, his completion of cleansing in Purgatorio allegorizes the soul's exodus from servitude to eternal glory. In addition, the idea that Virgil was the reason for his conversion simulates how Virgil was a rescuer for Dante in the first canto of Inferno . However, though Statius's conversion to Christianity is a key positive element in the Divine Comedy , it

7254-576: The story of the Women of Lemnos (Book 5). While she is speaking, her ward, Opheltes , is killed by a snake; in Book 6, the Argives perform games for the dead child, instituting the Nemean Games . In 7, Jupiter urges the Argives to march on Thebes where battle breaks out during which Amphiaraus is swallowed in the earth. In 8, Tydeus, wounded and dying, kills Melanippus and eats his head; a battle over his body leads to

7347-583: The surviving inhabitants to the site of the current town. Re-growth of the town however was interrupted by periodic outbreaks of plague and typhus into the early 19th Century. From the end of the nineteenth century the Ascoli Satriano was affected by increasing emigration to the Americas, reaching a peak between 1903 and 1914, stopping during the periods of the First World War and Italian fascism . After

7440-455: The throne of Thebes in alternate years, one ruling, the other in exile. Jupiter plans a war between Thebes and Argos , although Juno begs him not to incite it. Polyneices in exile fights with Tydeus , another exile at Adrastus ' palace; the two are entertained and marry Adrastus' daughters. In Book 2, Tydeus goes to Eteocles to ask him to lay down the throne and yield power, but he refuses and tries to kill Tydeus with an ambush. Tydeus slaughters

7533-573: The track of the old Via Latina, from which they rained down shells on Anzio. Even though the Allies expanded into all the Pomptine region, they gained no ground. The Germans counterattacked down the via Appia from the Alban hills in a front four miles wide, but could not retake Anzio. The battle lasted for four months, one side being supplied by sea, the other by land through Rome. In May 1944, the Allies broke out of Anzio and took Rome . The German forces escaped to

7626-404: The tree at Atedius' villa (2.3), an antique statue of Lysippus 's Heracles (4.6) and a description of Pollius' villa at Surrentum (2.2). The rest of the Silvae consist of congratulatory addresses to friends, and poems for special occasions such as the wedding poem for Stella and Violentilla (2.2), the poem commemorating the poet Lucan 's birthday (2.7), and a joking piece to Plotius Grypus on

7719-844: Was a Latin poet of the 1st century CE. His surviving poetry includes an epic in twelve books, the Thebaid ; a collection of occasional poetry , the Silvae ; and an unfinished epic, the Achilleid . He is also known for his appearance as a guide in the Purgatory section of Dante 's epic poem, the Divine Comedy . The poet's father (whose name is unknown) was a native of Velia but later moved to Naples and spent time in Rome where he taught with marked success. From boyhood to adulthood, Statius's father proved himself

7812-420: Was a poet, through you a Christian" ( per te poeta fui, per te cristiano , Purg . 22.73). Statius' relationship with Virgil highlights the tragedy of Virgil, who may beget salvation, but cannot attain it. Though Statius converted to Christianity, he states that he kept his Christianity a secret ( Purg . 22.90) as he lived at a time where Christians were persecuted , which resulted him spending four centuries in

7905-471: Was not without his critics who apparently had problems with his ex tempore style. Juvenal is thought to extensively lampoon Statius's type of court poetry in his fourth satire on the turbot of Domitian, but he also mentions the immense popularity of Statius's recitations in Satire 7.82ff. In late antiquity, the Thebaid , which was by then a classic, received a commentary by a Lactantius Placidus . Throughout

7998-422: Was probably supported through their patronage. Statius produced the first three books of occasional poetry, his Silvae , which were published in 93, and which sketch his patrons and acquaintances of this period and mention his attendance at one of Domitian's Saturnalia banquets. He competed in the great Capitoline competition - it is not known in what year, although 94 has been suggested. Statius failed to win

8091-509: Was said to have been so smooth that you could not distinguish the joints. The Roman section still exists and is lined with monuments of all periods, although the cement has eroded out of the joints, leaving a very rough surface. The road concedes nothing to the Alban hills , but goes straight through them over cuts and fills. The gradients are steep. Then it enters the former Pontine Marshes. A stone causeway of about 31 kilometers (19 mi) led across stagnant and foul-smelling pools blocked from

8184-422: Was situated. The road at the time was a via glarea, a gravel road. The Romans built a high-quality road, with layers of cemented stone over a layer of small stones, cambered, drainage ditches on either side, low retaining walls on sunken portions, and dirt pathways for sidewalks. The Via Appia is believed to have been the first Roman road to feature the use of lime cement. The materials were volcanic rock. The surface

8277-452: Was still largely influenced by the centuriation ; this, according to Lugli, was the path of the Appian Way. This path, as well as the part located in today's Apulia region, was still in use in the Middle Ages . A further piece of evidence for Lugli's proposed path is the presence of a number of archaeological remains in that region, among them the ancient settlement of Jesce. By studying

8370-477: Was the first long road built specifically to transport troops outside the smaller region of greater Rome (this was essential to the Romans). The few roads outside the early city were Etruscan and went mainly to Etruria . By the late Republic , the Romans had expanded over most of Italy and were masters of road construction. Their roads began at Rome, where the master itinerarium , or list of destinations along

8463-474: Was the government of Italy, for the time being. Appius Claudius died in 273, but in extending the road a number of times, no one has tried to displace his name upon it. The Appian Way's path across today's regions Lazio and Campania has always been well known, but the exact position of the part located in Apulia (the original one, not the extension by Trajan) was long unknown, since there were no visible remains of

8556-440: Was the main factor that allowed them to concentrate their forces with sufficient rapidity and to keep them adequately supplied, whereafter they became a formidable opponent. The main part of the Appian Way was started and finished in 312 BC. The road began as a leveled dirt road upon which small stones and mortar were laid. Gravel was laid upon this, which was finally topped with tight fitting, interlocking stones to provide

8649-418: Was used to describe the draft of a poet's work which was composed impromptu in a moment of strong inspiration and which was then revised into a polished, metrical poem. This suggests that the Silvae are revised, impromptu pieces of occasional poetry which were composed in the space of a few days' time. There are thirty-two poems in the collection (almost all with a dedicatee), divided into five books, each with

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