DAY 1

Puteoli to Capua

Paul made the final part of his journey into Rome along theVA, for Luke in 28:15 specifically mentions two stations along the route—Forum Appii (Forum of Appius) and Tres Tabernae (Three Taverns).1 But theVA passed some 21.5RM (20mi./32km) north of Puteoli on its way from Rome to the southeastern coast of Italy. So how did Paul and his party get from Puteoli to theVA? First-century travelers could have continued by sea. It was feasible to sail farther up the coast to a harbor along theVA—either 35mi. (55km) to Sinuessa, 40mi. (65km) to Minturnae, or even 70mi. (110km) to Tarracina. The other option was to travel by land. Here they had two choices—a direct coastal road 26mi. (42km) long via Cumae that joined theVA at Sinuessa or an inland road that ran 20mi. (32km) northeast from Puteoli to join theVA at Capua. Since Capua was 22mi. (35km) east of Sinuessa, the total distance traveled on the inland route was 42mi. (68km). So 16mi. (26km) could be saved by taking the coastal route to Sinuessa. As there is no indication that Paul’s party boarded a ship again, we are left with the two options by road.2

The Coastal Route in the First Century

As mentioned in the preceding chapter, the western end of the Bay of Naples was the site not only of Puteoli but also of the famous resort towns of Baiae and Misenum. Nearby was the ancient Greek city of Cumae, a mere 4.3mi. (7km) northwest of Puteoli and home of the famous Sibyl.3 As a result, one would expect a well-traveled road directly up the coast through the cities of Liternum and Volturnum to theVA at Sinuessa. Such a journey might be covered on foot in a single long day—if the road had been good. Beyond Cumae, however, the road northward presented major problems. This section of coastline contained both extensive marshes and sandy soil, and the crossing of numerous streams and inlets was required. The result was a meandering, treacherous road that caused travelers to move at a snail’s pace.4 This made the journey take even long