Listed 5 sub titles with search on: Various locations for destination: "LAZIO Region ITALY".
Melpis or Melfis (ho Melpis: Melfa), a small river of Latium, falling into the Liris (Garigliano), about 4 miles below its junction with the Trerus (Sacco). It crossed the Via Latina about 4 miles from Aquinum, though Strabo erroneously speaks of it as flowing by that city. It is a still greater mistake that he calls it a great river (potamos megas, Strab. v. p. 237), for it is in reality a very inconsiderable stream: but the text of Strabo is, in this passage, very corrupt, and perhaps the error is not that of the author. The name appears in the Tabula, under the corrupt form Melfel, for which we should probably read Ad Melpem. (Tab. Pent.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited August 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Sacriportus (d Hieros limen, Appian, B.C. i. 87), a place in Latium, between Signia and Praeneste, celebrated as the scene of the decisive battle between Sulla and the younger Marius, in which the latter was totally defeated, and compelled to take refuge within the walls of Praeneste, B.C. 82. (Liv. Epit. lxxxvii.; Appian, B.C. i. 87; Vell. Pat. ii. 26, 28; Flor. iii. 21. § 23; Vict. Vir. Ill. 68, 75; Lucan ii.134.) The scene of the battle is universally described as apud Sacriportum, but with no more precise distinction of the locality. The name of Sacriportus does not occur upon any other occasion, and we do not know what was the meaning of the name, whether it were a village or small town, or merely a spot so designated. But its loeality may be approximately fixed by the accounts of the battle; this is described by Appian as taking palce near Praeneste, and by Plutarch (Sull. 28) as near Signia. We learn moreover from Appian that Sulla having besieged and taken Setia, the younger Marius, who had in vain endeavoured to relieve it, retreated step by step before him until he arrived in the neighbourhood of Praeneste, when he halted at Sacriportus, and gave battle to his pursuer. It is therefore evident that it must have been situated in the plain below Praeneste, between that city and Signia, and probably not far from the opening between the Alban hills and the Volscian mountains, through which must have lain the line of retreat of Marius; but it is impossible to fix the site with more precision.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited August 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Regillus Lacus (he Hpegille limne, Dionys.: Lago di Corsnufelle), a small lake in Latium, at the foot of the Tusculan hills, celebrated for the great battle between the Romans and the Latins under C. Mamilius, in B.C. 496. (Liv. ii. 19; Dionys. vi. 3; Cic. de Nat. D. ii. 2, iii. 5; Plin. xxxiii. 2. s. 11; Val. Max. i. 8. § 1; Vict. Vir. Ill. 16; Flor. i. 11.) Hardly any event in the early Roman history has been more disguised by poetical embellishment and fiction than the battle of Regillus, and it is impossible to decide what amount of historical character may be attached to it: but there is no reason to doubt the existence of the lake, which was assigned as the scene of the combat. It is expressly described by Livy as situated in the territory of Tusculum ( ad lacum, Regillum in agro Tusculano, Liv. ii. 19); and this seems decisive against the identification of it with the small lake called Il Laghetto di Sta Prassede, about a mile to the N. of La Colonna; for this lake must have been in the territory of Labicum, if that city be correctly placed at La Colonna [Labicum], and at all events could hardly have been in that of Tusculum. Moreover, the site of this lake being close to the Via Labicana would more probably have been indicated by some reference to that high-road than by the vague phrase in agro Tusculano. A much more plausible suggestion is that of Gell, that it occupied the site of a volcanic crater, now drained of its waters, but which was certainly once occupied by a lake, at a place called Cornufelle, at the foot of the hill on which stands the modern town of Frascati. This crater, which resembles that of Gabii on a much smaller scale, being not more than half a mile in diameter, was drained by an artificial emissary as late as the 17th century: but its existence seems to have been unknown to Cluverius and other early writers, who adopted the lake or pool near La Colonna for the Lake Regillus, on the express ground that there was no other in that neighbourhood. (Cluver. Ital. p. 946; Nibby, Dintorni, vol. iii. pp. 8-10; Gell, Top. of Rome, pp. 186, 371.) Extensive remains of a Roman villa and baths may be traced on the ridge which bounds the crater, and an ancient road from Tusculum to Labicum or Gabii passed close by it, so that the site must certainly have been one well known in ancient times.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited October 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Numicius (Nomikios: Rio Torto), a small river of Latium, flowing into the sea between Lavinium and Ardea. It is mentioned almost exclusively in reference to the legendary history of Aeneas, who, according to the poetical tradition, adopted also by the Roman historians, was buried on its banks, where he was worshipped under the name of Jupiter Indiges, and had a sacred grove and Heroum. (Liv. i. 2; Dionys. i. 64; Vict. Orig. Gent. Rom. 14: Ovid. Met. xiv. 598-608; Tibull. ii. 5.39-44.) Immediately adjoining the grove of Jupiter Indiges was one of Anna Perenna, originally a Roman divinity, and probably the tutelary nymph of the river, but who was brought also into connection with Aeneas by the legends of later times, which represented her as the sister of Dido, queen of Carthage. The fables connected with her are related at full by Ovid (Fast. iii. 545-564), and by Silius Italicus (viii. 28-201). Both of these poets speak of the Numicius as a small stream, with stagnant waters and reedy banks: but they afford no clue to its situation, beyond the general intimation that it was in the Laurentine territory, an appellation which is some-times used, by the poets especially, with very vague latitude. But Pliny, in enumerating the places along the coast of Latium, mentions the river Numicius between Laurentum and Ardea; and from the narrative of Dionysius it would seem that he certainly conceived the battle in which Aeneas was slain to have been fought between Lavinium and Ardea, but nearer the former city. Hence the Rio Torto, a small river with a sluggish and winding stream, which forms a considerable marsh near its outlet, may fairly be regarded as the ancient Numicius. It would seem from Pliny that the Lucus Jovis Indigetis was situated on its right bank. (Plin. iii. 5. s. 9; Dionys. i. 64; Nibby, Dintorni, vol. ii. p. 418.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited September 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Solonius ager (Solonion, Plut.), was the name given to a district
or tract in the plain of Latium, which appears to have bordered on the territories
of Ostia, Ardea, and Lanuvium. But there is some difficulty in determining its
precise situation or limits. Cicero in a passage in which he speaks of a prodigy
that happened to the infant Roscius, places it in Solonio, qui est campus agri
Lanuvini (de Div. i. 36); but there are some reasons to suspect the last words
to be an interpolation. On the other hand, Livy speaks of the Antiates as making
incursions in agrum Ostiensem, Ardeatem, Solonium (viii. 12). Plutarch mentions
that Marius retired to a villa that he possessed there, when he was expelled from
Rome in B.C. 88; and from thence repaired to Ostia. (Plut. Mar. 35.) But the most
distinct indication of its locality is afforded by a passage of Festus (s. v.
Pomonal, p. 250), where he tells us Pomonal est in agro Solonio, via Ostiensi,
ad duodecimum lapidem, diverticulo a miliario octavo. It is thence evident that
the ager Solonius extended westward as far as the Via Ostiensis, and probably
the whole tract bordering on the territories of Ostia, Laurentum, and Ardea, was
known by this name. It may well therefore have extended to the neighbourhood of
Lanuvium also. Cicero tells us that it abounded in snakes. (De Div. ii. 31.) It
appears from one of his letters that he had a villa there, as well as Marius,
to which he talks of retiring in order to avoid contention at Rome (ad Att. ii.
3).
The origin of the name is unknown; it may probably have been derived
from some extinct town of the name; but no trace of such is found. Dionysius,
indeed, speaks of an Etruscan city of Solonium, from whence the Lucumo came to
the assistance of Romulus (Dionys. ii. 37); but the name is in all probability
corrupt, and, at all events, cannot afford any explanation of the Latin district
of the name.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited September 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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