Antium

Quick Facts: Who was Antium?

Subject:

Antium

Known for:

Ancient coastal town in Latium, significant stronghold to the Volsci and later a major Roman colony.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Antium was an ancient coastal town in Latium, south of Rome. An oppidum was founded by people of Latial culture (11th century BC or the beginning of the 1st millennium BC), which then became the main stronghold of the Volsci until it was conquered by the Romans. The territory of Roman Antium corresponded almost entirely to modern Anzio and Nettuno. In some versions of Rome's foundation myth, Antium was founded by Anteias, a son of Odysseus by Circe. The Latin-Volscian town stood in the Capo d'Anzio (modern Anzio), on a higher ground and somewhat away from the shore, though it extended down to it.

Career & Major Achievements

This was defended by a deep ditch, which can still be traced, and by walls, a portion of which, on the eastern side, constructed of rectangular blocks of tufa, was brought to light in 1897. The fortification of the town would included the acropolis, to which it would be adjacent to the east, isolated but connected. The Latin colony of 467 BC, of which it will be said later, would be installed alongside the fortified Latin-Volscian oppidum, also to the east. A coeval port town, Caenon, was the port under the control of Antium (which did not have a natural harbour of its own): according to alternative theories, the port of Caenon would be located in the Capo d'Anzio, or the port town very north of it, or the town on a hill near Nettuno to the east, and the port over the mouth of the nearby river Loricina. The settlement of Roman Antium was certainly present in the area of the Capo d'Anzio (in particular, a presumed extensive town since the mid-republican age, the imperial colony and the great harbour of Nero), but a parallel agricultural settlement, with the same name, was likely to be in the same position as modern Nettuno since the colony of 338 BC; so from 60 AD the colonia Antium of Nero in the Capo d'Anzio would coexisted with a supposed, more ancient, civitas Antium in Nettuno, which in the 4th century AD would have been the only real town: a thesis that has found some perplexities or an opposition.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

According to a theory, the Volsci controlled the Antiates area since the 7th century BC, but the common orientation thinks about an occupation at the beginning of the 5th century BC, (likely in 493 BC) or shortly before. As said in the beginning, for a long time Antium was the capital of the Antiates Volsci, settled on the Thyrrenian coast. In 493 BC the Roman consul Postumus Cominius Auruncus fought and defeated two armies from Antium and as a result captured the Volscian towns of Longula, Pollusca and Corioli (to the north of Antium). According to Plutarch the Roman leader Coriolanus, who fought at Corioli, took refuge at Antium to the noble Attius Tullius Aufidius, when the Roman had been accused of disloyalty to Rome and the Volsci. Aufidius obtained consent that, by Volscian hand, Coriolanus was first tried, then assassinated before the end of the trial.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1897: 1897 Milestone — This was defended by a deep ditch, which can still be traced, and by walls, a portion of which, on the eastern side, constructed of rectangular blocks of tufa, was brought to light in 1897.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Antium

True or False: “The initial settlement of Antium was established by people belonging to the Latial culture during the 11th century BC.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The text specifies that an oppidum founded by people of Latial culture appeared in the 11th century BC or the beginning of the 1st millennium BC.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alphonse Daudet — Historical peer (Died in 1897) (1897): French novelist celebrated for his evocative short stories and novels.
• Amelia Earhart — Historical peer (Born in 1897) (1897): Iconic American aviator whose pioneering flights shaped early 20th-century aviation.
• Antoine Bourdelle — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: French sculptor and teacher, pivotal figure between Beaux-Arts and modern sculpture.
• Antoine de Rivarol — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: French royalist writer and translator active during the tumultuous Revolutionary era.
• Antoine de Saint-Exupéry — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: French writer, poet, and aviator whose works blended adventure with profound humanism.
• Antoine Galland — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Pioneering French orientalist, renowned for translating One Thousand and One Nights.

Frequently Asked Questions about Antium