ulmona to
Benevento and on to Avellino, and from south-west to north-east by the
railways from Caianello via Isernia to Campobasso and Termoli, from
Caserta to Benevento and Foggia, and from Nocera and Avellino to
Rocchetta S. Antonio, the junction for Foggia, Spinazzola (for Barletta,
Bari, and Taranto) and Potenza. Roman roads followed the same lines as
the railways: the Via Appia ran from Capua to Benevento, whence the
older road went to Venosa and Taranto and so to Brindisi, while the Via
Traiana ran nearly to Foggia and thence to Bari.

The valley of the Ofanto (_Aufidus_), which runs into the Adriatic close
to Barletta, marks the northern termination of the first range of the
Lucanian Apennines (now Basilicata), which runs from east to west, while
south of the valleys of the Sele (on the west) and Basiento (on the
east)-which form the line followed by the railway from Battipaglia via
Potenza to Metaponto--the second range begins to run due north and south
as far as the plain of Sibari (_Sybaris_). The highest point is the
Monte Pollino (7325 ft.). The chief rivers are the Sele
(_Silarus_)--joined by the Negro (_Tanager_) and Calore (_Calor_)--on
the west, and the Bradano (_Bradanus_), Basiento (_Casuentus_), Agri
(_Aciris_), Sinni (_Siris_) on the east, which flow into the gulf of
Taranto; to the south of the last-named river there are only unimportant
streams flowing into the sea east and west, inasmuch as here the width
of the peninsula diminishes to some 40 m. The railway running south from
Sicignano to Lagonegro, ascending the valley of the Negro, is planned to
extend to Cosenza, along the line followed by the ancient Via Popilia,
which beyond Cosenza reached the west coast at Terina and thence
followed it to Reggio. The Via Herculia, a branch of the Via Traiana,
ran from Aequum Tuticum to the ancient Nerulum. At the narrowest point
the plain of Sibari, through which the rivers Coscile (_Sybaris_) and
Crati (_Crathis_) flow to the sea, occurs on the east coast, extending
halfway across the peninsula. Here the limestone Apennines proper cease
and the granite mountains of Calabria (anc. _Bruttii_) begin. The first
group extends as far as the isthmus formed by the gulfs of S. Eufemia
and Squillace; it is known as the Sila, and the highest point reached is
6330 ft. (the Botte Donato). The forests which covered it in ancient
times supplied the Greeks and Sicilians with timber for shipbuilding.
The railway from S. E