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.
The Appian Way: Ghost Road, Queen of Roads (Culture Trails)
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“Layer upon layer, Italy’s storied past unfolds in Robert 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, )
“Robert Kaster is well known to classical scholars for his combination of philological expertise and vivid historical imagination. In this delightful little book he brings his scholarship and his mastery of the art of exposition to a new genre, the travel book. At once historically informed, engagingly written, down to earth and vividly descriptive, The Appian Way brings the first great road of Europe to life and provides an informative and practical guide for other travelers.”
(Christopher Stray, author of Classical Dictionaries: Past, Present and Future )
“How many Great Pyramids match the earth moved to make the greatest Roman road? Many more than you think—until you have read Robert 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
(Peter Stothard, author of On the Spartacus Road, A Journey through Ancient Italy )
"Fascinated by Rome's greatest road as a monument to power, death, and remembrance, and determined to trace its path today, Kaster makes a first-rate guide through time and through space, through the layers of history and the jostling of diverse cultures from Rome to Brindisi, from Appius Claudius the Blind to Kurt Vonnegut. En route, travelers should award him 5 stars for the clarity of his exposition, the accuracy and concision of his lightly-worn erudition, and the charm and relevance of personal anecdotes and striking observations. Many books will lead you down the Appian Way, but this should be the one to start your journey."
(Edward Champlin, Princeton University )
(Adrienne Mayor, author of� The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, )
“Robert Kaster is well known to classical scholars for his combination of philological expertise and vivid historical imagination. In this delightful little book he brings his scholarship and his mastery of the art of exposition to a new genre, the travel book. At once historically informed, engagingly written, down to earth and vividly descriptive, The Appian Way brings the first great road of Europe to life and provides an informative and practical guide for other travelers.”
(Christopher Stray, author of Classical Dictionaries: Past, Present and Future )
“How many Great Pyramids match the earth moved to make the greatest Roman road? Many more than you think—until you have read Robert 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
(Peter Stothard, author of On the Spartacus Road, A Journey through Ancient Italy )
"Fascinated by Rome's greatest road as a monument to power, death, and remembrance, and determined to trace its path today, Kaster makes a first-rate guide through time and through space, through the layers of history and the jostling of diverse cultures from Rome to Brindisi, from Appius Claudius the Blind to Kurt Vonnegut. En route, travelers should award him 5 stars for the clarity of his exposition, the accuracy and concision of his lightly-worn erudition, and the charm and relevance of personal anecdotes and striking observations. Many books will lead you down the Appian Way, but this should be the one to start your journey."
(Edward Champlin, Princeton University )
"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."
(Library Journal )
About the Author
Robert A. Kaster is professor of classics and the Kennedy Foundation Professor of Latin at Princeton University.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By D. Saverino
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Robert Kaster's account of the ancient Appian Way is part-history, part-travelogue and part-personal anecdote. He is essentially following a road that is, for the most part, buried five meters underground, partially restored in some of the historical parts of Rome, but mostly gone. His account is mostly useful as a travelogue to those of us who choose to take the roads more commonly travelled in Italy -- mainly in Tuscany, Rome and the Amalfi coast. He demonstrates that there is beauty to be found in some of the less-travelled routes, such as in Puglia.
The main problem I have with this book is that it lacks adequate maps detailing the places that he travelled, as well as a historical chronology, making it difficult to visualize and to follow along as a reader. Since the author is following a road that is essentially non-existent, he chooses to list the places he visits rather than map them in detail.
Although insightful and with some historical details, this book lacks the information to be either a book of history or a travelogue. By failing to be one of these, it falls a little flat; it's fine for a "light holiday read", but it's not what I would consider to be recommended reading.
The main problem I have with this book is that it lacks adequate maps detailing the places that he travelled, as well as a historical chronology, making it difficult to visualize and to follow along as a reader. Since the author is following a road that is essentially non-existent, he chooses to list the places he visits rather than map them in detail.
Although insightful and with some historical details, this book lacks the information to be either a book of history or a travelogue. By failing to be one of these, it falls a little flat; it's fine for a "light holiday read", but it's not what I would consider to be recommended reading.
By Mas01
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This was a very good personal experience combined with history. Kaster's experiences are interesting and well-described. I also bought the illustrated book, "The Appian Way: From its Foundation in the Middle Ages" (Getty Trust Publications). It was fun to reference back and forth between the descriptions and the illustrations.
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I just returned from Rome and The Appian Way was my companion. Wonderful book; learned, historical and beautifully written. If you go to Italy, don't leave home without it. You'll thank me later.
Patrick Luciani
Patrick Luciani
Format:Hardcover
A short, endearing account of a "Classical viaggio" by a lifelong Classicist. Bob Kaster manages to combine the authority of someone who has studied Roman culture his entire life with the wide-eyed naivete and amazement of someone just discovering Italy - which, it turns out, he really was. As another reviewer has noted, the book is not a thorough examination of the history or current state of the Via Appia, but a breezily written compendium of historical anecdote and travel journal. It's like talking to your favorite old professor about his summer - very pleasant and definitely recommended. A great gift for the Latin teacher or budding classicist and an inspiration to get out and see those old roads for yourself.
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Madhatter
Format:Hardcover
Heartiest congratulations to Robert Kaster. You have written my book. I have been an Appian Way dreamer for as long as I can remember and the 'chatty' but informative style of your writing is a pleasure to read.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I had a few hours to kill. I hired a car to take me to the Appian Way, I wanted to see Quo Vadis church, not sure the real name right now.
I searched Amazon for a book to learn more about the road and this book fits the bill.
A wonderful academic adventure that would be fun to duplicate some time.
I read the Kindle edition.
I searched Amazon for a book to learn more about the road and this book fits the bill.
A wonderful academic adventure that would be fun to duplicate some time.
I read the Kindle edition.
