Amiternum
Encyclopedia
Amiternum, a traditional cradle of the Sabine
s, is an ancient Sabine prefecture
in the Abruzzo
region of modern Italy
at 9 km from L'Aquila
. Amiternum was the birthplace of the historian Sallust
(86 BC).
It was stormed by the Romans in 293 BC
. It lay at the point of junction of four roads: the Via Caecilia
, the Via Claudia Nova
and two branches of the Via Salaria
.
There are considerable remains of an amphitheatre and a theatre, all of which belong to the imperial period, while on the hill of the surronuding village of San Vittorino there are some Christian catacombs
. There were bishops here, including the martyred Saint Cetteus (d. 597). In the mid-13th century the population was transferred to the newly-founded town of L'Aquila
, which was erected as a diocese by Pope Alexander IV
, 20 February 1257.
Sabine
The Sabines were an Italic tribe that lived in the central Appennines of ancient Italy, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome...
s, is an ancient Sabine prefecture
Prefecture
A prefecture is an administrative jurisdiction or subdivision in any of various countries and within some international church structures, and in antiquity a Roman district governed by an appointed prefect.-Antiquity:...
in the Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
region of modern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
at 9 km from L'Aquila
L'Aquila
L'Aquila is a city and comune in central Italy, both the capital city of the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 73,150 inhabitants, but has a daily presence in the territory of 100,000 people for study, tertiary activities, jobs and tourism...
. Amiternum was the birthplace of the historian Sallust
Sallust
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, generally known simply as Sallust , a Roman historian, belonged to a well-known plebeian family, and was born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines...
(86 BC).
It was stormed by the Romans in 293 BC
293 BC
Year 293 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cursor and Maximus...
. It lay at the point of junction of four roads: the Via Caecilia
Via Caecilia
Via Caecilia, an ancient highroad of Italy, which diverged from the Via Salaria at the 35th mile from Rome, and ran by Amiternum to the Adriatic coast, passing probably by Hadria...
, the Via Claudia Nova
Via Claudia Nova
The Via Claudia Nova was ancient Roman road, build in 47 AD by the Roman Emperor Claudius to connect the Via Caecilia with the Via Claudia Valeria in central Italy....
and two branches of the Via Salaria
Via Salaria
The Via Salaria was an ancient Roman road in Italy.It eventually ran from Rome to Castrum Truentinum on the Adriatic coast - a distance of 242 km. The road also passed through Reate and Asculum...
.
There are considerable remains of an amphitheatre and a theatre, all of which belong to the imperial period, while on the hill of the surronuding village of San Vittorino there are some Christian catacombs
Catacombs
Catacombs, human-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place can be described as a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman empire...
. There were bishops here, including the martyred Saint Cetteus (d. 597). In the mid-13th century the population was transferred to the newly-founded town of L'Aquila
L'Aquila
L'Aquila is a city and comune in central Italy, both the capital city of the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L'Aquila. , it has a population of 73,150 inhabitants, but has a daily presence in the territory of 100,000 people for study, tertiary activities, jobs and tourism...
, which was erected as a diocese by Pope Alexander IV
Pope Alexander IV
Pope Alexander IV was Pope from 1254 until his death.Born as Rinaldo di Jenne, in Jenne , he was, on his mother's side, a member of the de' Conti di Segni family, the counts of Segni, like Pope Innocent III and Pope Gregory IX...
, 20 February 1257.