Casilinum
Casilinum (
Casilinum was located where the modern city of Capua now stands, while the ancient Capua was located on the site of the modern Santa Maria Capua Vetere.
While the original pre-Roman town, doubtless dependent on neighboring Capua, stood entirely on the left (south) bank surrounded on three sides by the river, the Roman city extended to the right bank also. Remains of this later town have been found at some 25 feet below the modern ground-level, the river-bed having since risen considerably.[1]
During the
Casilinum eventually lost its independence and became a praefectura. Caesar founded a colony at the town in 59 BCE, which was subsequently renewed by Mark Antony in 44 BCE. The veterans settled within the town took the side of Octavian after Caesar's death.[1]
Casilinum appears to have been united with Capua sometime before the reign of Vespasian—the name of the town does not appear in the list of independent communities given by Pliny, who rather (Hist. Nat. iii.70) says that it was fallen into decay (morientis Casilini reliquiae). Only its position at the junction of major roads appears to have redeemed it from insignificance. The period of its final decline or destruction is uncertain but in the 9th century no town was on the spot.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d public domain: Ashby, Thomas (1911). "Casilinum". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 446. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), Casilinum