Fregellae

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Fregellae, an ancient town of Latium adiectum, situated on the Via Latina 11 m. WNW of Aquinum, near the left branch of the Liris. It is said to have belonged in early times to the Opici or Oscans, and later to the Volscians. It was apparently destroyed by the Samnites a little before 330 BC, in which year the people of Fabrateria Vetus (modern Ceccano) sought the help of Rome against them, and in 328 BC a Latin colony was established there. The place was taken in 320 BC by the Samnites, but reestablished by the Romans in 313 BC. It continued henceforward to be faithful to Rome; by breaking the bridges over the Liris it interposed an obstacle to the advance of Hannibal on Rome in 212 BC, and it was a native of Fregellae who headed the deputation of the non-revolting colonies in 209 BC. It appears to have been a very important and flourishing place owing to its command of the crossing of the Liris, and to its position in a fertile territory, and it was here that, after the rejection of the proposals of M. Fulvius Flaccus for the extension of Roman burgess-rights in 125 BC, a revolt against Rome broke out. It was captured by treachery in the same year and destroyed; but its place was taken in the following year by the colony of Fabrateria Nova, 3 m. to the SE on the opposite bank of the Liris, while a post station Fregellanum (modern Ceprano) is mentioned in the itineraries; Fregellae itself, however, continued to exist as a village even under the empire. The site is clearly traceable about 1/2 m. E of Ceprano, but the remains of the city are scanty.

[edit] Excavations

The modern exploration of the site, under the direction of Filippo Coarelli of the Università di Perugia, was begun in 1978. The excavators have uncovered significant features of the ancient city, including the temple of Aesculapius, from which numerous terracotta revetments are known.