Spätantike, frühes Mittelalter und Mittelalter 511 Arnold Esch, Zwischen Antike und Mittelalter.Der Verfall des römischen Straßensystems in Mittelita- lien und die Via Amerina. Publisher C. H. Beck, Munich . pages with illustrations, maps. In ,Arnold Esch published his book »Römische Straßen in ihrer Landschaft.Das Nachleben antiker Strassen (sic) um Rom. Mit Hinweisen zur Begehung im Gelände«(Mainz ). Here, Esch enumerates five sections of Roman roads in CentralItaly: the Via Appia, the Via Cassia, theVia Flaminia, the Via Sala- ria and the Via Valeria. These descriptions follow the same concept: awalking route follows the trace of the former road, based on detailed survey-maps; in add- ition, ameticulous description is given of the ancient history and archaeologyofthe road section and the surrounding landscape. The publication is richly illus- trated: besides thesurvey-maps, there are also photos of the landscape and the road sections themselves and sometimes also illustrations of objects situated along the roads in present or in original times. »Zwischen Antike und Mittelalter« takes adifferent form. It is actually divided into two independentparts, although the title only suggests one. The first part is a general historical overview concerning the decline and fall of the entire Roman road system in Central Italy; the 512 Besprechungen second part is awalking tour along the Via Amerina, andolive oil – up untilthe fifthcentury corn wasimport- described in the same way as the Roman road sections in ed from Africa –,but some centuries later, Rome was »Römische Straßen«. Although the two parts are con- transformed into avillage of peasants, living amongst nected, the differences between them are striking. buildings and temples slowly turning into ruins. Al- The first part, »Straßen um Rom zwischen Antike though every classicist and historian knows that the Ro- und Mittelalter« describes the Central-Italian road sys- man Empire came to an end, making way for the Dark tem mainly from ahistorical point of view. It aims to Middle Ages, some illustrations are confrontational. answer the question how the busy, well-maintained Figure (p. )shows asmall farmatthe Forum of and straight road system around the city of Rome – Nerva. Totila’sthreat – during his siege of Rome – to an interregional network connecting the different parts change thecity into ameadow forcattle finally became of Italy, still well-functioning in thefourth century reality. Other images, showing agriculture in the centre A. D. – transformed into afragmented road system of Rome, are also used in another publication of where the interregional functions and connections A. Esch, Straßenzustandund Verkehr in Stadtgebiet were lost, and deteriorated into asystem of primitively und Umgebung Roms im Übergang von der Spätantike repaired local roads and even into sandy tracks. zum Frühmittelalter (.–.Jahrhundert). In: D. Mer- Esch shows how between the fourth and eighth tens, Stadtverkehr in der antiken Welt. Internationales century people must have witnessed the gradual dete- Kolloquium zur -Jahrfeier des Deutschen Archäolo- rioration of the road system and the facilities along the gischen Instituts Rom, .bis .April (Wiesbaden roads. In the first instance, the roads are still repaired ) (Kaiserfora,Imperial Fora). These illustra- and maintained provisionally, but during the increas- tions show an idyllic picture, but also apicture of ruins, ing political disturbanceinItaly, the importance of depopulation, poverty and desolation, almost apocalyp- road repair decreased. In the fifth and sixth centuries tical science-fiction: can we imagine grazing sheep on especially, the condition of the road system deteri- Times Square, TrafalgarSquare or Potsdamer Platz? orates quickly, and in the seventh and eighth centuries, When the reigns of the Ostrogoths and Byzantines large parts of it are inaccessibleoreven have disappear- had come to an end and the Pope was the last remain- ed; not only due to long overdue maintenance, but ing important power-figure, anew political structure also because of natural forces such as subsidence, was established. Anew economy arose and the local floods and overgrowing. Surface material of former road system remainedinuse. Even the maintenance parts of the road system,nolonger accessibleorin of ashrunken economy requires an infrastructure. Ro- use, was removed for other purposes; the material was, man roads are no longer roads built by Romans, but of course, useful for new buildings. Moreover, awell- roads leading to and from Rome. functioning road system was not only no longer suit- From p. onwards, the survival or demise of cer- able or desirable, but even undesirable: the unity of tain roads is discussed. The famous Via Appia, still the Roman Empire with its central capital was now used in by Belisarius for his campaign against the altered into an area where brutal invaders could use a Ostrogoths and praised by Procopius, will quickly de- well-functioning and straight road system for their teriorate after that time. Some road sections become own purposes. So, why maintain along-distance infra- inaccessible, and villages and settlements along the structure at great expense? road are abandoned.The Via Flaminia and the Via Esch then discusses the altered situation of the Cassia, leading to the north, are still important until roads: they no longer offer theshortest distance between the end of the Middle Ages – especially for pilgrims –, two important economic centres, but now they con- but compared with the situation in the classical era, nect as many settlements and (former) cities as pos- their functions are merely ashadow of what they used sible. Inevitably, theroads and the travelling times be- to be. The other Italian thoroughfares undergo come longer. The length of the road systemincreases roughly the same fate; other minor roads had already because the roads are no longer straight but winding, lost their function at an earlierstage. evading natural obstacles like slopes of hills and The Via Amerina, aconnectingroad between the Via mountains,and rivers. Cassia in the South and the Via Flaminia in the North, Along the new mediaeval roads, new settlements, is an exception. All roads deteriorate – in physiognomic churches and chapels arose. Many former Roman roads and economic respects, some slowly, others more quick- were abandoned and isolated, because they no longer ly – but the Via Amerina, in the transitional period from functioned as thoroughfares. Illustration (p. ) Antiquity to the Dark Middle Ages becomes increasing- shows asmall church, built precisely on abridge on the ly important. Over arelatively long period, it is the con- old Via Flaminia. In and around Rome, the traffic nection between two Byzantine areas: Rome and Raven- function of the road system was maintained over along- na, surrounded by the Langobardic Kingdom. er period of time, but after losing its dominant function The views of the Italians concerning the original Ro- of metropolis, Rome became aregional economic cen- man road system are discussed by Esch from p. on- tre, and the needs, products and services came from the wards. According to the author, their awarenessofthe surrounding area. In the fourth century, hundreds of roads themselves – as well as of thebuildings along them thousands of Romanswere still supplied with corn, meat – disappears from thepeople’smemory relatively quick- Spätantike, frühes Mittelalter und Mittelalter 513 ly. Milestonesare thought to be boundary marks and home), Rutilius Namatianusexplicitly describes that the meanings of terms change. ›Strata‹ becomes ›road‹, the surface of theroads has disappeared, being reduced rather than ›paved road‹.Esch puts forward another to sandy tracks or dams (aggeres): »Postquam Tuscus example: aminiature in aninth century manuscript ager postquamque Aurelius agger |perpessus Geticas (fig. ,p.)shows the Via Appia, on one side flanked ense vel igne manus |non silvas domibus, non flumi- by so-called ›centuriation‹–afield, divided into square na ponte coercet« (Since Tuscany and since the Aure- parcels or plots. Esch mentions that one was no longer lian highway, after suffering the outrages of Goths aware that the road section of theVia Appia had been with fire or sword, can no longer control forest with flanked by centuriation on both sides. This couldbe homestead or river with bridge). This passage is men- true, but the painter may also have suffered from lack of tioned in my publication Traffic and Congestion in space, or maysimply have preferred the green colour of the Roman Empire(London and New York ) mountains (or vegetation?) endnote (unfortunately missing in Esch’sendnote The first part of the publication ends with agener- [p. ], where he names certain publications concern- al picture of what ancient Roman roads look like ing Roman road systems and constructions). today: that they are still visible and how they can be It is apity that Esch does not discuss traffic flow. recognised in the landscape. Sometimes, they are com- To what extent, after the change from anational road pletely intact and well-preserved; sometimes it is pos- system into aregional one, did people make use of sible to discern traces of them, and sometimes, there is animals and wagons? How didthe means of transport nothing visible any longer. change when paved roads were reduced to sandy Just as in Esch’s»Römische Straßen«, in this publica- tracks, making travel more time-consuming along a tion there is alarge amount