Lanuvium

History

According to legend, Lanuvium was founded by Diomedes, or by one Lanoios, an exile from Troy. The first documented traces of the settlement date from the 9th century BC and by the 6th century BC it was part of the Latin League.

In the 11th c. the city became known as Civita Lavinia, a result of the confusion between it and ancient Lavinium.

Cult of Juno

Lanuvium was especially noted for its rich and much venerated temple of Juno Sospes (Livy 8.14; Cic. Nat. D. 1.83; Fin. 2.63), from which Octavian borrowed money in 31 BC, and the possessions of which extended as far as the coast of the Mediterranean. It possessed many other temples repaired by Antoninus Pius, who was born close by (S. H. A. Ant. Pius 1), as was Commodus.

Prominent citizens

One prominent native of Lanuvium was Lucius Licinius Murena (consul of 62 BC), whom Cicero defended in late 63 BC. Others include the actor Roscius (Cic. Div. 36), the political agitator Titus Annius Milo, who was convicted for the murder of Clodius (Cic. Mil. 27) and Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, consul of 12 BC and later legate of Syria.

Monuments

Remains of the ancient theatre and of the city walls exist in the modern town, and above it is an area surrounded by a portico, in opus reticulatum, upon the north side of which is a rectangular building in opus quadratum, probably connected with the temple of Juno where archaic decorative terracottas artifacts have been found. The acropolis of the primitive city was probably on the highest point above the temple to the north. The neighborhood, which is now covered with vineyards, contains the remains of many Roman villas, one of which is traditionally attributed to the Emperor Antoninus Pius.

Footnotes

References

References

1. Quilici, L., S. Quilici Gigli, DARMC, R. Talbert, S. Gillies, T. Elliott, J. Becker. (6 May 2021). "Places: 422956 (Lanuvium)". Pleiades.
2. (1976). "The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites". Princeton University Press.
3. Manlio Lilli. (2001). "Lanuvium: avanzi di edifici antichi negli appunti di R. Lanciani". L'ERMA di BRETSCHNEIDER.
4. Eric Orlin Professor of Classics University of Puget Sound. (30 July 2010). "Foreign Cults in Rome: Creating a Roman Empire". Oxford University Press, USA.
5. R. Neudecker, Die Skulpturenausstattung römischer Villen in Italien (Mainz 1988) 164 ff. Cat. no. 22