Listed 3 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for wider area of: "LUCERA Town PUGLIA" .
ARPINA (Ancient city) LAZIO
Arpinum. A city whose name (Strab. 5.1.9; 6.3.9; Ptol. 3.1.72; Plin. HN 3.104),
gave rise to the legend of its foundation by the Argive King Diomede. One of the
most important cities of the Daunii, who were Illyrian in origin, it is in the
heart of the Tavoliere, ca. 20 km E of Luceria and 30 km from Sipontum, its outlet
to the sea. During the period of the city's greatest expansion, Sipontum was included
in its territory (Livy 34.45; Dio. 20.3). The city played an important role in
the struggle between Greeks and Italici and between Oscans and Latins for supremacy
in Italy. In order to save its territory from the Sabelli during the second Samnite
war, it concluded a treaty of alliance with Rome in 326 B.C. (Livy 9.13). This
contributed to a flourishing period in the city's history, largely datable to
the 3d c. B.C. and documented by an immense coinage in silver and bronze. The
coins bore a legend in Greek and images of Greek deities, including Zeus, Athena,
Persephone, and Ares. During the Pyrrhic war the city was still allied to Rome,
but in the second Punic war it surrendered to Hannibal, who wintered there at
the end of 215 B.C. Two years later Fabius Maximus occupied its territory, reducing
its importance as a result of the loss of its outlet to the sea, where in 194
B.C. the Romans built the colony of Sipontum (Polyb. 3.118; Livy 22.61; App.,
Hann. 31). It had lost all importance by the Imperial age.
Two inscriptions from nearby Vaccarella belong perhaps to Luceria
(CIL IX, 934, 935). The site of the ancient city is easily recognizable a few
km N of Foggia. Extensive excavation during the last few years has brought to
light the remains of numerous buildings of the Hellenistic-Roman age, pit tombs
from the 6th-5th c. B.C. and grotto tombs from the 4th-3d c. B.C. The material
found is preserved in the museums at Foggia and Taranto.
F. G. Lo Porto, ed.
This text is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Nov 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
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