Battle of Fucine Lake
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Fucine Lake was fought in 89 BC between a Roman army and a rebel force during the Social War. Lucius Porcius Cato
was the leader of the Roman army at this battle. The consul Porcius Cato was defeated and killed while storming a Marsic camp in winter or early spring.
There is an unusual archaeological footnote to this battle in a novel inscribed slingshot (Campanelli p154). A lead cone with a small iron ring at the top is interpreted as having had an attached string to make a combined sling (weapon)
and bullet, used in this battle. The inscription, in the Venetian alphabet and language that mentions a Floro Decio, attests the presence of Venetian troops at this battle. (Note: the name of Venice is derived from the name of this tribe and has the same adjectival name.) This object is sufficiently unusual, in both its nature and its long inscription, as to suggest that it served some special purpose, e.g. might it have carried a flame over the camp ramparts to set the camp alight? Any speculation must take account of the survival of this object. The current assumption is that this weapon fell in the lake and was only recovered in the 19th century when the Fucine lake
was drained.
Lucius Porcius Cato
Lucius Porcius Cato, son of Marcus Porcius Cato Salonianus, was a consul of the Roman Republic in 89 BC.As consul, Porcius Cato led the Roman army at the Battle of Fucine Lake in 89 BC against a rebel force during the Social War, but was defeated and killed while fighting a Marsic camp in winter.-...
was the leader of the Roman army at this battle. The consul Porcius Cato was defeated and killed while storming a Marsic camp in winter or early spring.
There is an unusual archaeological footnote to this battle in a novel inscribed slingshot (Campanelli p154). A lead cone with a small iron ring at the top is interpreted as having had an attached string to make a combined sling (weapon)
Sling (weapon)
A sling is a projectile weapon typically used to throw a blunt projectile such as a stone or lead "sling-bullet". It is also known as the shepherd's sling....
and bullet, used in this battle. The inscription, in the Venetian alphabet and language that mentions a Floro Decio, attests the presence of Venetian troops at this battle. (Note: the name of Venice is derived from the name of this tribe and has the same adjectival name.) This object is sufficiently unusual, in both its nature and its long inscription, as to suggest that it served some special purpose, e.g. might it have carried a flame over the camp ramparts to set the camp alight? Any speculation must take account of the survival of this object. The current assumption is that this weapon fell in the lake and was only recovered in the 19th century when the Fucine lake
Fucine Lake
The Fucine Lake was a large lake in central Italy, stretching from Avezzano in the northwest to Ortuccio in the southeast, and touching Trasacco in the southwest. It was drained in 1875.-Roman drainage:...
was drained.