 Hey guys, it's Darius for Ancient Rome Live. We're traveling along the Via Appia and in this episode we're going to be exploring a pivotal city along the Via Appia, Beneventum. It's an epic adventure and of course we're going all the way to Brindisi, so be sure to subscribe to hit every single episode. From Capua, the Via Appia continues 28 miles first to Caldium, the site of the famous Battle of the Caldine Forks, where the Romans suffered a humiliating defeat in 321 BC to the Caldini tribe of the Second Samnite War. Then the Via Appia advances, still higher in up an elevation to the next major city, Beneventum, just 12 miles away. The city is located on the mountainous Appianine region of Campania, in the Samnite region in the midway point between the Adriatic and the Tyrian Sea. It was a critical location that the Romans conquered sometime in the Third Samnite War. Beneventum was originally founded by the Samnites, the Herpene or wolf tribe, and they called their city Malaventum or Malaventum. It was here that the Romans won the final battle against Pyrrhus of the Pyrrhus in 275 BC. Pyrrhus was the Greek king who had been invited by the Greek city Tarentum, Rome's chief rival in southern Italy. And as a result of their victory, the Romans renamed Malaventum Beneventum and established a colony which grew large and prosperous. A lot of that prosperity depended upon its connection to Rome through the Via Appia which passed right through the city. And this town remained a commercial and strategic stronghold throughout Roman history. Two major battles were fought here during the Second Punic War. Beneventum remained loyal to Rome and became a Municipium by 86 BC. It would become one of the most prosperous cities in the Campania region after Capua. What an incredible opportunity to walk across this ancient bridge. Today it's known as Ponte Libroso referring to a hospital for people with leprosy. But we can take it back probably to an original bridge of the Samnites. And by the Third Samnite War, Malaventum is conquered by the Romans and they change its name forever to Beneventum, which in the Middle Ages becomes a bastion of the Lombards. But in its heyday, this was a fantastic city, an imperial city sponsored by emperors. This bridge, originally probably one of wood under the Samnites, then becomes a stone bridge under Apios Claudius Caicos. When the Via Apia passed right over it, what we're walking on is largely reconstructed by Caracalla. The bridge was largely destroyed by Totila of the Goths in the 6th century when he sacked the city. And then the bridge was rebuilt and finally renovated after the devastating earthquake in 1702. Once outside the city center of Beneventum, there's so much history along the Via Apia, this is an extraordinary sight to come and experience for yourself. The remains of the imperial city underline its reputation as the number two city of Roman Campania. The brick arch, once lined in marble, stood in the area of the Forum. Today it is known as the Arch of the Sacramento next to the Archbishop's Palace. What we need to read it is the recently restored remains of a sprawling imperial age bath complex. In the heart of Beneventum, imperial baths beautifully preserved within the neighborhood of the theater. It was constructed by Trajan, completed by Hadrian, and amplified by Caracalla. With a diameter of 90 meters, it would have held up to 10,000 spectators. These remains are impressive, once lined with marble veneer, stuccoes, and statuary. This spectacular theater in Beneventum, imperial and date beautifully preserved, gives you a sense again of the imperial city and it gives you a sense of Imperial Rome. Look at all this brick work. It's in use still today. The brick work and the restoration complements the original building material and it truly is a stunning setting for performance and antiquity and performances go on still today. Just a gorgeous, gorgeous location. It is just an incredible opportunity to explore and have many of these places. To myself, as I take you along this epic journey along the Via Appia, thousands of years of history and of course so much of that history now, it's all about preserving the antiquity. They're doing a magnificent job here in Beneventum. We have the stage area, we have the seating, two stories, and of course we can go downstairs and go to these corridors. The same technologies that we have in the amphitheaters we have right here in Beneventum in the theater. Extraordinary. Afterward it was abandoned in the Middle Ages and was used as a foundation for later houses. And one portion was given over to the construction of Santa Maria della Verità, which still stands. The impressive remains of the Colt of Isis are visible throughout the city today, including this impressive obelisk. And many of the Roman ruins found their way into the later Lombard City. Particularly prominent are the reused tomb reliefs and inscriptions and the bell tower of the city's medieval Duomo. There is also an important fork in the Via Appia at Beneventum. The Via Appia continued southeast, in the mountainous interior, tracing Rome's path of conquest of Magna Graecia, past Eclinum, Venusia, and down to Tarentum, Rome's main southern rival. But as noted in Horace's famous travelogue along the Via Appia, it was at this juncture in Beneventum that there was another important route, the road less traveled, probably the Via Menuccia. This route was coastal, running along the Adriatic, and inherently less tortuous as the road quickly descended to the coastal level, taking less time but utilized mostly for goods in wagons rather than pedestrians. The Via Menuccia was not a major thoroughfare like the Via Appia, but that would change with Trajan. Beneventum is a place where the Via Appia passes through, but it's also the start of a new branch created by the Emperor Trajan. And this arch signifies the beginning of the Via Trajana, which is a shortened path to Brindisi. It's completed in 114, and it looks like a triumphal arch, but it's really about Trajan's great triumphs. And there are civil and military victories that are depicted throughout this arch. It's almost 16 meters high, 8 meters wide, and it is nearly perfectly preserved. It's giving us a blow-by-blow account of some of the greatest achievements of Trajan. It still stands here today, beautifully preserved. The Via Appia passes right by here and deviates to its original path, but here is the start of the Via Trajana that takes you down to Brindisi, an addition to the original Via Appia in the 2nd century CE. Be sure to join me next time as we continue our travel down the Via Appia Antica. Thanks for tuning in, and don't forget to hit the like button and subscribe. And of course, you can support our efforts, we're a non-profit, at ancientromelive.org.