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EXPEDITIONS FROM ROME: THOMAS ASHBY, HIS BSR COMPANIONS AND THE ROMAN ROADS OF ITALY

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 October 2021

Janet Wade
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Abstract

In the early twentieth century, Thomas Ashby published extensively on the Roman roads of Italy. The BSR Director was determined to create a lasting record of the ancient Roman road network before it was lost forever. Yet Ashby's research vision was grand and it was too ambitious a task for one man to accomplish on his own. This paper investigates the crucial role of BSR scholars in Ashby's research. It discusses his relationship with the community of residents and scholars at the BSR in the pre- and post-World War I years, especially those with whom he collaborated in order to survey, map and record the Roman roads and their surrounding countryside. Focus is given to Ashby's research on roads like the Via Flaminia and Via Appia as this work highlights his methodology, the collegial environment at the BSR during his directorship, and his successful collaboration with award-holders. To date, the role of these BSR scholars has largely been underrated. Yet there were BSR award-holders — historians, archaeologists and architects — who helped to keep Ashby's research vision alive. Without them, he could not have produced such a comprehensive and impressive body of work on Italy's Roman roads.

All'inizio del Novecento, Thomas Ashby ha pubblicato numerose opere sulle strade romane d'Italia. Il direttore della BSR era determinato a creare una documentazione duratura dell'antica rete stradale romana prima che andasse perduta per sempre. Tuttavia questa prospettiva di ricerca era imponente e allo stesso tempo era un compito troppo ambizioso per un singolo studioso. Questo articolo indaga il ruolo cruciale degli studiosi della BSR nella ricerca di Ashby. Discute il suo rapporto con la comunità di residenti e studiosi della BSR negli anni precedenti e successivi alla Prima Guerra Mondiale, in particolare quelli con cui ha collaborato per ricognire, mappare e documentare le strade romane e la campagna circostante. L'attenzione è rivolta alla ricerca di Ashby su strade come la Via Flaminia e la Via Appia, poiché questo lavoro mette in evidenza la metodologia seguita, l'ambiente collegiale della BSR durante la sua direzione e la sua proficua collaborazione con i borsisti di ricerca. Sino ad oggi il ruolo di questi studiosi della BSR è stato ampiamente sottostimato, nonostante ci siano stati borsisti di ricerca della BSR – storici, archeologi e architetti – che hanno contribuito a mantenere viva la prospettiva di ricerca di Ashby. Senza di loro, Ashby non avrebbe potuto produrre un lavoro così completo e imponente sulle strade romane in Italia.

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Articles
Information
Papers of the British School at Rome , Volume 90 , October 2022 , pp. 267 - 295
Copyright
Copyright © British School at Rome 2021

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Footnotes

1

I am grateful to the BSR for providing me with access to their Library and Archive Special Collections, firstly as the 2018 Macquarie University Gale BSR Fellowship holder and again as the recipient of the 2020 BSR Library and Archive Award. I would also like to thank Janet Gale and Macquarie University for the opportunity to spend time in Rome in 2018. I am especially thankful to the BSR's archivist, Alessandra Giovenco, for her patience, support and humour at all stages of my research, and to my colleague Nicole Moffatt for her ongoing assistance and collaboration.

References

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Smith, C. (2018) J.B. Ward-Perkins, the BSR and the landscape tradition in post-war Italian archaeology. Papers of the British School at Rome 86: 271–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
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Toynbee, A.J. (1965) Hannibal's Legacy: The Hannibalic War's Effect on Roman Life. London, Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Wallace-Hadrill, A. (2001) The British School at Rome: One Hundred Years. Rome, British School at Rome.Google Scholar
Ward-Perkins, J.B. (1970) Introduction. In Ashby, T., The Roman Campagna in Classical Times (second edition): v–x. London, Benn.Google Scholar
Wiseman, T.P. (1990) A Short History of the British School at Rome. London, British School at Rome.Google Scholar
BSR Library and Archive Special Collections, Thomas Ashby notes and notebooks. Rome, British School at Rome.Google Scholar
BSR Administrative Archive. Rome, British School at Rome.Google Scholar
BSR Photographic Archive. BS Collection, Thomas Ashby Collection, Dora and Agnes Bulwer Collection and Robert Gardner Collection. Rome, British School at Rome.Google Scholar
Ashby, T. (1902) The classical topography of the Roman Campagna I. Papers of the British School at Rome 1: 125–285.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashby, T. (1906) The classical topography of the Roman Campagna II. Papers of the British School at Rome 3: 1–212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashby, T. (1907) The classical topography of the Roman Campagna III. Papers of the British School at Rome 4: 1–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashby, T. (1910) The classical topography of the Roman Campagna III. (The Via Latina) – Section II. Papers of the British School at Rome 5: 213–432.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashby, T. (1916–17) Le Vie Appia e Traiana. Bollettino dell'Associazione Archeologica Romana 6–7: 10–23.Google Scholar
Ashby, T. (1922) La Via Tiburtina. Atti e Memorie della Società Tiburtina di Storia e d'Arte 2: 74–88.Google Scholar
Ashby, T. (1924) La Via Tiberina e i territori di Capena e del Soratte nel periodo romano. Memorie della Pontificia Accademia 1, 2: 129–75.Google Scholar
Ashby, T. (1927) The Roman Campagna in Classical Times. London, Benn.Google Scholar
Ashby, T. and Fell, R.A.L. (1921) The Via Flaminia. Journal of Roman Studies 11: 125–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashby, T. and Gardner, R. (1916) The Via Traiana. Papers of the British School at Rome 8: 104–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashby, T. and Rowland Pierce, S. (1924) The Piazza del Popolo, Rome: its history and development. Town Planning Review 11, 2: 75–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bucci, A. (2007) La Collezione Fotografica Bulwer e i Manoscritti Lanciani. In Miscellanea Bibliothecae Apostolicae Vaticanae XIV: 95–111. Vatican City.Google Scholar
Ceraudo, G. (2012) (ed.) Ashby and Gardner e le richerche lungo l'Appia e la Traiana. In Lungo l'Appia e la Traiana: le fotografie di Robert Gardner in viaggio con Thomas Ashby nel territorio di Beneventum agli inizi del Novecento. British School at Rome Archive 10: 31–40. Rome, Delta 3.Google Scholar
Fell, R.A.L. (1924) Etruria and Rome. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Gardner, R. (1920) The Via Claudia Valeria. Papers of the British School at Rome 9, no. 4: 75–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giro, F.M. (2010) Introduction. In Vistoli, F. (ed.), La riscoperta della Via Flaminia piu vicina a Roma: storia, luoghi, personaggi: 9. Rome, Edizioni Nuova Cultura.Google Scholar
Guattani, G.A. (1784) Monumenti Antichi inediti ovvero Notizie sulle Antichita’ e Belle Arti di Roma, I, T.III. Rome.Google Scholar
Hodges, R. (2000) Visions of Rome: Thomas Ashby Archaeologist. London, British School at Rome.Google Scholar
Laurence, R. (2012) Roman Archaeology for Historians. London/New York, Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le Pera Buranelli, S. and Turchetti, R. (2003) (eds) Thomas Ashby e la Via Appia. In Sulla Via Appia da Roma a Brindisi. Le fotografie di Thomas Ashby 1891–1925: 15–18. Rome, L'Erma di Bretschneider.Google Scholar
Lugli, G. (1946) Piccole avventure romane di un archeologo militante. Strenna di Romanisti 7: 42–50.Google Scholar
Martinori, E. (1929) Le vie maestre d'Italia. Via Flaminia: Studio storico-topografico. Rome, Stab. tip. Regionale.Google Scholar
Messineo, G. (1991) La Via Flaminia. Da Porta del Popolo a Malborghetto. Rome, Quasar.Google Scholar
Smith, A.H. (1932) Thomas Ashby 1874–1931. Proceedings of the British Academy XVII. London, Humphrey Milford Amen House E.C.Google Scholar
Smith, C. (2011) Foreword. In Trodone, V. (ed.), Thomas Ashby: Viaggi in Abruzzo 1901/1923. British School at Rome Archive 9: 11–12. Milan, Silvan.Google Scholar
Smith, C. (2018) J.B. Ward-Perkins, the BSR and the landscape tradition in post-war Italian archaeology. Papers of the British School at Rome 86: 271–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sterpos, D. (1970) The Roman Road in Italy, trans. Sear, F.B.. Rome, Quaderni di Autostrade.Google Scholar
Toynbee, A.J. (1965) Hannibal's Legacy: The Hannibalic War's Effect on Roman Life. London, Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Wallace-Hadrill, A. (2001) The British School at Rome: One Hundred Years. Rome, British School at Rome.Google Scholar
Ward-Perkins, J.B. (1970) Introduction. In Ashby, T., The Roman Campagna in Classical Times (second edition): v–x. London, Benn.Google Scholar
Wiseman, T.P. (1990) A Short History of the British School at Rome. London, British School at Rome.Google Scholar