- Fregellae
Fregellae was an ancient town of
Latium adiectum , situated on theVia Latina 11 m. WNW ofAquinum , near the left branch of theLiris . It is said to have belonged in early times to theOpici orOscan s, and later to theVolsci ans. It was apparently destroyed by theSamnites a little before330 BC , in which year the people ofFabrateria Vetus (modernCeccano ) sought the help ofRome against them, and in328 BC a Latin colony was established there. The place was taken in320 BC by the Samnites, but reestablished by the Romans in313 BC . It continued henceforward to be faithful to Rome; by breaking the bridges over the Liris it interposed an obstacle to the advance ofHannibal on Rome in212 BC , and it was a native of Fregellae who headed the deputation of the non-revolting colonies in209 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 ofM. Fulvius Flaccus for the extension of Romanburgess -rights in125 BC , a revolt against Rome broke out. It was captured by treachery in the same year and destroyed by the praetorLucius Opimius ; but its place was taken in the following year by the colony ofFabrateria Nova , 3 m. to the SE on the opposite bank of the Liris, while a post stationFregellanum (modernCeprano ) 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.References
* F. Coarelli. ed. "Fregellae" (1981).
* F. Coarelli and M. Caputo "Il santuario di Esculapio".Links
*Museo Archeologico di Fregellae (Ceprano) [http://www.menteantica.it/fregellae.htm]
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