Caietae Portus
Encyclopedia
Caietae Portus an ancient harbour of Latium adiectum
, Italy
, in the territory of Formiae, from which it is 5 miles (8 km) south-west. The name (originally Αἰήτη) is generally derived from Caieta
, the nurse of Aeneas
.
The harbour, owing to its fine anchorage, was much in use, but the place was never a separate town, but always dependent on Formiae. Livy
mentions a temple of Apollo
. The coast of the Gulf not only between Caietae Portus and Formiae, but east of the latter--also, as far as the modern Monte Scauri, was a favourite summer resort.
Cicero
may have had villas both at Portus Caietae and at Formiae proper, and the emperors certainly possessed property at both places. After the destruction of Formiae in AD 847
it became one of the most important seaports of centrul Italy. In the town are scanty remains of an amphitheatre and theatre: near the church of La Trinità, higher up, are remains of a large reservoir. There are also traces of an aqueduct
.
The promontory (548 ft) is crowned by the tomb of Munatius Plancus, founder of Lugudunum (mod. Lyons), who died after 22 BC. It is a circular structure of blocks of travertine 160 ft (48.8 m). high and 180 ft (54.9 m). in diameter. Further inland is the so-called tomb of L Atratinus, about 100 feet (30.5 m) in diameter. Caieta Portus was no doubt connected with the Via Appia (which passed through Formiae) by a deverticulum. There seems also to have been a road running west-north-west along the precipitous coast to Speluncae (mod. Sperlonga
).
See Erasmo Gesualdo, Osservazioni critiche sopra la storia della via Appia di Francesco Maria Pratilli p. 7 (Naples, 1754).
Latium adiectum
Latium adiectum or Latium Novum is an ancient Roman geographical term used at least as early as the 1st century BC, when mention of it occurs in Pliny in conjunction with Latium antiquum, the original territory of the Latini tribe...
, 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...
, in the territory of Formiae, from which it is 5 miles (8 km) south-west. The name (originally Αἰήτη) is generally derived from Caieta
Caieta
In Roman mythology, Caieta was the wet-nurse of Aeneas. The Roman poet Vergil locates her grave on bay at Gaeta, to which she also gives her name . The poet Ovid, working a generation later, provides an epitaph:...
, the nurse of Aeneas
Aeneas
Aeneas , in Greco-Roman mythology, was a Trojan hero, the son of the prince Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite. His father was the second cousin of King Priam of Troy, making Aeneas Priam's second cousin, once removed. The journey of Aeneas from Troy , which led to the founding a hamlet south of...
.
The harbour, owing to its fine anchorage, was much in use, but the place was never a separate town, but always dependent on Formiae. Livy
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
mentions a temple of Apollo
Temple of Apollo
Temple of Apollo can refer to:*Greece**Temple of Apollo, Corinth**Temple of Apollo **Temple of Apollo at Bassae**Temple of Apollo Patroos*Cyprus**Temple of Apollo Hylates, Limassol*Italy**Temple of Apollo Palatinus, in Rome...
. The coast of the Gulf not only between Caietae Portus and Formiae, but east of the latter--also, as far as the modern Monte Scauri, was a favourite summer resort.
Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
may have had villas both at Portus Caietae and at Formiae proper, and the emperors certainly possessed property at both places. After the destruction of Formiae in AD 847
847
Year 847 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Bari is captured by the Saracens....
it became one of the most important seaports of centrul Italy. In the town are scanty remains of an amphitheatre and theatre: near the church of La Trinità, higher up, are remains of a large reservoir. There are also traces of an aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
.
The promontory (548 ft) is crowned by the tomb of Munatius Plancus, founder of Lugudunum (mod. Lyons), who died after 22 BC. It is a circular structure of blocks of travertine 160 ft (48.8 m). high and 180 ft (54.9 m). in diameter. Further inland is the so-called tomb of L Atratinus, about 100 feet (30.5 m) in diameter. Caieta Portus was no doubt connected with the Via Appia (which passed through Formiae) by a deverticulum. There seems also to have been a road running west-north-west along the precipitous coast to Speluncae (mod. Sperlonga
Sperlonga
Sperlonga is a coastal town in the province of Latina, Italy, about half way between Rome and Naples.Surrounding towns include Terracina to the West, Fondi to the North, Itri to the North-East, and Gaeta to the East.-History:...
).
See Erasmo Gesualdo, Osservazioni critiche sopra la storia della via Appia di Francesco Maria Pratilli p. 7 (Naples, 1754).