d 3rd centuries B.C. brought a great part of the
pastures of the Apulian plain into the hands of the Roman state, and a
tax was paid on every head of cattle and every sheep, at first to the
tax farmer and later to the imperial procurator. It was under the Romans
that the system of migration for the flocks reached its full
development, and the practice is still continued; the sheep-tracks
(_tratturi_), 350 ft. wide, leading from the mountains of the Abruzzi to
the plain of Apulia date in the main at least from the Roman period, and
are mentioned in inscriptions. The plain, however, which once served as
winter grazing ground for a million sheep, now gives pasture to about
one-half of that number.[1] The shepherds, who were slaves, often gave
considerable trouble; we hear that some 7000 of them, who had made the
whole country unsafe, were condemned to death in 185 B.C. (Livy xxxix.
29). Sheep-farming on a large scale was no doubt detrimental to the
interests of the towns. We hear of repeated risings, for the last time
in the Social War. Even in the 4th century B.C. the then chief town of
Apulia, Teate or Teanum Apulum (see above), suffered in this way.
Luceria subsequently took its place, largely owing to its military
importance; but under the Empire it was succeeded by Canusium.

The road system of Apulia, which touched all the important towns,
consisted of three main lines, the Via Appia (see APPIA, VIA), the Via
Traiana, and the coast road, running more or less parallel in an
east-south-east direction. The first (the southernmost), coming east
from Beneventum, entered Apulia at the Pons Aufidi, and ran through
Venusia to Tarentum, and thence, turning north-east, to Brundusium. The
second, coming north-east from Beneventum, turned east at Aecae, and ran
through Herdoniae, Canusium, Butuntum, Barium and Gnathia (Gnatia) to
Brundusium. There was also a short cut from Butuntum to Gnathia through
Caelia, keeping inland. The third parallel line ran to the north of the
Via Traiana, in continuation of the road along the north-east coast of
Picenum and Samnium; it entered Apulia near Larinum (whence a branch ran
south to Bovianum Undecimanorum), and thence, keeping in the plain to
the south of the Mons Garganus, rejoined the coast at Sipontum, where it
received a branch road from the Via Traiana at Aecae, passing through
Luceria and Arpi. It then passed through Barduli (where it was joined by
a road from Canusium by way of Cannae