Antemnae

Antemnae (Latin ante amnem, sc. Anienem; Varro, Ling. Lat. v. 28), an ancient village of Latium, situated on the west of the Via Salaria, two miles north of Rome, where the Anio falls into the Tiber.

In the early, semi-legendary history of Rome, the Antemnates were amongst the peoples which attended Romulus' festival of Neptune Equester. At that festival the Roman men seized the young women amongst the visiting spectators, an event known as the Rape of the Sabine Women. Afterwards, according to Livy, the army of the Antemnates made an incursion into Roman territory. The Romans retaliated, and the Antemnates were defeated in battle and their town conquered. A Roman colony was subsequently sent to Antemnae by Romulus.[1]

According to the Fasti Triumphales, Romulus celebrated a triumph over the Antemnates in 752 BC.

The site is one of great strength, and is (as of 1911) occupied by a fort. During construction of the fort, traces of the outer walls and several huts, wells and a cistern belonging to the primitive village were discovered. The remains of a villa from the end of the Republic were also found.

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Coordinates: 41°56′16″N 12°30′00″E / 41.9379°N 12.5000°E