Important Archaeological Discovery
Pre-Roman Iuvanum
by Luigi Copertino
Amongst the mountains of the Peligna area, where the boundaries of the communal
territories of Torricella and Montenerodomo meet, there is a well-known
archaeological area that takes its name from the ancient Roman centre of Iuvanum.
We owe the evaluation of this centre to the late archaeologist and
superintendent of Abruzzo, Valerio Cianfarani[1], who, between 1962 and 1963,
carried out a vast campaign of excavations, following on in the wake of previous
findings of traces of walls and other archaeological discoveries that had
previously been found: the result of this work was the discovery of the entire
Forum area and the two temples (dating to the 2nd Century B.C.) which, together
with already known remains of the theatre, highlighted the existence of a Roman
“Municipium”[2] with territorial administrative, economic and military
functions. Thus, in Roman times, Iuvanum was the most important town of this
Samnite-Peligna region.
All the important details that we have about Iuvanum date to after the period
known as the “Bellum Sociale” (the Social War[3]), by means of which the Italic
peoples of the central-south obtained Roman citizenship. In fact it was after
this political-military event that Iuvanum was raised to the high office of
“Municipium Romanum” and was written into the “Amensis” tribe. On the other
hand, there are very few details about Iuvanum dating to before the Social War,
from which we can deduce that, the Samnite Caracine[4] population, probably
merged with the indigenous Peligni of the area of Iuvanum, and followed the
historical fate of the Samnites in general, who, extending their dominion
throughout almost all the central-south region of Italy, were soon “at war” with
the emerging power of Rome.
If details about Iuvanum prior to the Social War were few, those relating to the
pre-Roman period were truly non-existent until very recently: in fact, although
there was a hypothesis suggesting the likelihood that there had been a pre-Roman
inhabited centre, there was absolutely no supporting evidence. But in 1980 new
excavation works were entrusted to the Institute of Archaeology and Ancient
History of the University of Chieti, under the direction of Professor E.
Fabbricotti, with the aim of verifying the likely hypothesis according to which
the Romans had founded Iuvanum on top of an already existing Italic village or
fort. Thus, after lengthy work, pre-Roman archaeological remains have recently
been uncovered, adjacent to the main road that leads to the Forum. Currently,
therefore, it is thought that there was an existing Samnite community structure,
on the model of the “VILLAGGIO” or “Pagus”[5], with respective territory and
cultural centre. The economy of this pre-Roman village was probably similar to
others belonging to the Samnite-Caracines, namely it was of the pastoral and
craftsman type (in particular they carried out transhumance[6]).
Thus there was confirmation of the pre-Roman hypothesis; now we must await
subsequent studies to cast more light on the results obtained thus far, and hope
that the Sovrintendenza ai Beni Culturali di Chieti (the Office of Culture in
Chieti) will wake up from its “inactive torpor” concerning our archaeological
outskirts.
TRANSLATOR'S
NOTES:
[1] Valerio Cianfarani - Superintendent of Antiquities in Abruzzo, Professor
of Archaeology in the 1950’s-70’s
[2] Municipium – Latin for a Provincial Town
[3] the Social War “Bellum Sociale”
Background
Before Rome was founded, the lands on the Eastern side of the Apennines were
inhabited by peoples of Indo-European stock today known as the "Piceni", divided
into many different tribes. When Rome started its expansion in the 5th century
BC, little by little the various tribes were subdued and became allies of the
Romans.
The Roman victories and conquests, achieved also thanks to the help of the
Italic peoples, ought to have favoured an ever greater fusion of the Piceni with
the Romans, but it was not so. Only those among them who had been granted Roman
citizenship were able to take advantage of the new wealth and power, whereas
those who did not enjoy the status of Roman citizens were kept in a state of
great economic and social inferiority.
The Social War
Discontent became widespread among the Italic peoples, and when finally the
Roman Senate denied another request for Roman citizenship, revolution broke out:
Piceni, Vestini, Peligni, Marsi, Marrucini, Frentani, Sanniti and, more to the
South, Lucani and Apuli, started a rebellion against mighty Rome. This was the
start of a war that later was called "Bellum Sociale" (the social war). Those
peoples who had joined the Romans in the past against powerful Hannibal and
terrible Perseo, the king of Macedonia, became Rome's most dangerous enemies. In
90 BC the rebels established the first centre of an Italic state choosing as
their capital Corfinium, which was renamed Italia, a name that appeared for the
first time as a symbol of the common land for all the inhabitants of the Italian
peninsula who were fighting against Rome. A 500-member Senate was elected and
two consuls appointed, Marsian Quintus Poppedius Silone and Samnite Caio Papius
Mutilus, along with twelve magistrates (praetores).
Corfinio, became the capital, its name is derived from the Italic gods Cerfi; it
was chosen not only for its central position (it was located at the end of the
mountain pass between the valley of Lake Fucino and the Peligna Valley, along
the banks of the Aterno river), but also because it was a strategic centre along
the via Valeria, which continued the Tiburtina connecting Rome to the Adriatic
Sea.
The new capital issued its own coins to oppose the monopoly of the Roman
currency and to assert the political importance of the new State. Their first
coin showed a female head with a laurel crown and the word ITALIA; another coin
had the word VITELIU, in recognition of the etymology of the name Italia from
the Italic word for "calf" (meaning that Italia was the land of calves).
Early Italic victories compelled the Romans to prepare a stronger army. In the
spring the war had spread throughout Abruzzo and Samnium. Fearing more
insurrections in Etruria and Umbria, the Romans granted the rebels some of their
requests: the "Lex Iulia de civitate" granted Roman citizenship to all those
peoples who had kept their loyalty to Rome; the "Lex Plautia Papiria" extended
citizenship to all inhabitants of those Latin or allied towns which presented to
the praetor within 60 days. These laws weakened support to the rebels and
consequently favoured Roman victory.
In 88 BC the Social War ended and the Marrucini, Frentani, Marsi, Peligni and
the other peoples of Abruzzo and Samnium were incorporated into the Roman
tribes. Corfinio was conquered and its named was changed to Pentima, which was
kept until 1928, when it was renamed again to the ancient Corfinio.
[4] Caracines –
Carentines – according to Pliny these people were Frentanians. The wide range of
form of the names of this group of Samnite tribes, Caraceni, Carecini, Caretini,
etc., is partly due to the swings and differences in ancient writings, (Tacitus,
Pliny, Tolomeo) and partly due to later reconstructions and criticisms of these
texts. Recently two inscriptions have enabled a better definition of the precise
Latin form of the ethnic group as Carricini. http://xoomer.virgilio.it/davmonac/sanniti/carric01.html
[5] Pagus (or VILLAGGIO) village or country district
[6] Transhumance – For many centuries, local shepherds in this area of the
Abruzzo have practiced the custom of "transhumance," moving their flocks down to
the warmer pastures of Apulia (Puglia) in the fall and back home again in the
spring, following the same age-old “tratturi” trails.
In Torricella, Via Bellini, (almost in front of the school building) is the part
of the village that was called "Lu trattore", a word in dialect derived from the
Italian “Tratturo” (sheep-track), because it was used as a pathway by the flocks
of sheep during Transhumance, as they went at the end of summer from the
mountains to the sea. "Abballe pe lu trattore" in dialect means that the road
descends; it went from "Rue di signurielle" towards the "Calacroce", the present
day Via Bellini.
Translation courtesy of Dr. Marion Apley Porreca
© Amici di Torricella Year II No
3 December 1990 page 4 |
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