The Appian Way: Ghost Road, Queen of Roads

Author(s): Robert A. Kaster

Travel Writing

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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"Layer upon layer, Italy's storied past unfolds in Kaster's captivating journey along the venerable Queen of Roads. I cannot imagine a more perfect guide to such a rich trove of ancient and modern memories. Illuminating, erudite, entertaining, and evocative." (Adrienne Mayor, author of The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy) "How many Great Pyramids match the amount of earth moved to make the greatest Roman road? More than you think-until you have read Kaster's The Appian Way: Ghost Road, Queen of Roads, a work of erudite classical commentary as well as excellent advice for travelers today." (Peter Stothard, author of On the Spartacus Road: A Journey through Ancient Italy) "A wonderful preface for any traveler planning an outdoorsy day in Rome or, especially, a trip through southern Italy. Kaster's enthusiasm for the road and the people (past and present) who populate it is contagious." (Booklist)"

Robert A. Kaster is professor of classics and the Kennedy Foundation Professor of Latin at Princeton University.

General Fields

  • : 9780226142999
  • : University of Chicago Press
  • : University of Chicago Press
  • : 0.186
  • : April 2014
  • : 55mm X 85mm X 18mm
  • : United States
  • : March 2014
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Robert A. Kaster
  • : Paperback
  • : English
  • : 937/.7
  • : 136
  • : 24 halftones, 3 line drawings