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ANTIUM (mod. Anzio)

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Originally appearing in Volume V02, Page 147 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ANTIUM (mod. Anzio) , an See also:ancient Volscian See also:city on the See also:coast of See also:Latium, about 33 M. S. of See also:Rome. The legends as to its See also:foundation, and the accounts of its See also:early relations with Rome, are untrustworthy; but See also:Livy's See also:account of See also:wars between Antium and Rome, early in the 4th See also:century B.C., may perhaps be accepted. Antium is named with See also:Ardea, Laurentum and Circeii, as under See also:Roman See also:protection, in the treaty with See also:Carthage in 348 B.C. In 341 it lost its See also:independence after a rising with the See also:rest of Latium against Rome, and the beaks (rostra) of the six captured Antiatine See also:ships decorated and gave their name to the orators' tribunal in the Roman See also:Forum. At the end of the Republican See also:period it became a resort of wealthy See also:Romans, and the See also:Julian and Claudian emperors frequently visited it; both Caligula and See also:Nero were See also:born there. The latter founded a See also:colony of veterans and built a new See also:harbour, the projecting moles of which are still extant. In the See also:middle ages it was deserted in favour of See also:Nettuno: at the end of the 17th century See also:Innocent XII. and See also:Clement XI. restored the harbour, not on the old site but to the See also:east of it, with the opening to the east, a See also:mistake which leads to its being frequently silted up; it has a See also:depth of about 15 ft. Remains of Roman villas are conspicuous all along the See also:shore, both to the east and to the See also:north-See also:west of the See also:town. That of Nero cannot be certainly identified, but is generally placed at the so-called Arco Muto, where remains of a See also:theatre (discovered in 1712 and covered up again) also exist. Many See also:works of See also:art have been found.

Of the famous See also:

temple of See also:Fortune (See also:Horace, Od. i. 35) no remains are known. The See also:sea is encroaching slightly at Anzio, but some See also:miles farther north-west the old Roman coast-See also:line now lies slightly inland (see See also:TIBER). The Volscian city stood on higher ground and somewhat away from the shore, though it extended down to it. It was defended by a deep ditch, which can still be traced, and by walls, a portion of which, on the eastern See also:side, constructed of rectangular blocks of tufa, was brought to See also:light in 1897. The See also:modern See also:place is a summer resort and has several villas, among them the See also:Villa See also:Borghese. See A. Nibby, Dintorni di See also:Roma, i. 181; Notizie degli scavi, passim. (T.

End of Article: ANTIUM (mod. Anzio)

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