Arnold Esch describes in his new book, which is based on decades of his own research and explorations, the decline of the highly developed Roman road system after the fall of the Roman Empire. He explains why certain routes fell into disuse early on while others endured: insights that can still be utilized today for locating Roman roads in the landscape. It is a wonderful book about the joys and challenges of historical understanding in open landscapes. The fragmentation of Italy into smaller regions created new conditions and priorities in the final phase of the Roman Empire, altering the function and purpose of the roads, which, abandoning the ruthless Roman straightness, were once again adapted to the terrain's relief. In this book, which combines archaeological and historical perspectives, we see how ancient roads were perceived.