Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 August 2013
The area under study comprises primarily the eastern section of Lucania south of the stretch of the Via Appia from Gravina to Venosa (Fig. 1); the purpose is to examine the network of principal ancient roads (Fig. 3). The terrain imposes limits on the siting of these roads, but, as will be seen, changes in the distribution of population shifted the importance of various routes at different times. The literary sources, ancient and medieval, offer some assistance in ascertaining the location of some of the routes, but the main tools are air photography and autopsy.
II. The Written Sources
These are somewhat sparse and have produced several problems that themselves require elucidation. They are:
1. The Itinerarium Antonini. This describes three routes through the area under study:
(a) In lines 104.1–104.4, part of a long route from Mediolanum to Regio, we read Venusium civitas, Opino 15, ad fluvium Bradanum 28, Potentia 24.
(b) In lines 113.1–5, part of a route from Equum Tuticum to Regio, we read Venusia, ad Pinum 12, Ipnum 12, Caelianum 40, Heraclia 28. None of the figures is secure.