Liternum

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Liternum was an ancient town of Campania, Italy, on the low sandy coast between Cumae and the mouth of the Volturnus. It was probably once dependent on Cumae. In 194 BC it became a Roman colony.

The town is mainly famous as the residence of the elder Scipio, who withdrew from Rome and died there. His tomb and villa are described by Seneca the Younger. Augustus Caesar is said to have conducted a colony of veterans to Liternum. However, the place never had any great importance, and the lagoons behind it made it unhealthy, though the construction of the Via Domitiana through it must have made it a posting station. It ceased to exist in the 8th century. No remains are visible.

[edit] External links

• The Hunterian Museum's page on Liternum, with maps and photos. (Which show that there indeed standing remains!)

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.