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.
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