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LAVINIUM , an See also:ancient See also:town of See also:Latium, on the so-called Via Lavinatis (see See also:LAURENTINA, VIA), 19 M. S. of See also:Rome, the See also:modern PRATICA, situated 300 ft. above See also:sea-level and 21 M. N.E. from the sea-See also:coast. Its See also:foundation is attributed to See also:Aeneas (whereas Laurentum was the See also:primitive See also:city of See also: Here the name of Laurentum is preserved by the modern name Pantan di Lauro. Even in ancient times it was famous for its groves of See also:bay-trees (laurus) from which its name was perhaps derived, and which in imperial times gave the villas of its territory a name for salubrity, so that both See also:Vitellius and See also:Commodus resorted there. The exact date of the See also:abandonment of the town itself and the See also:incorporation of its territory with that of Lavinium is uncertain, but it may be placed in the latter See also:part of the See also:republic. Under the empire a portion of it must have been imperial domain and See also:forest. We hear of an imperial. See also:procurator in See also:charge of the elephants at Laurentum; and the imperial See also:villa may perhaps be identified with the extensive ruins at Tor Paterno itself. The remains of numerous other villas See also:lie along the ancient coast-See also:line (which was See also:half a mile inland of the modern, being now marked by a See also:row of See also:sand-hills, and was followed by the Via See also:Severiana), both See also:north-See also:west and See also:south-See also:east of Tor Paterno: they extended as a fact in an almost unbroken line along the See also:low sandy coast—now entirely deserted and largely occupied by the low scrub which serves as See also:cover for the See also:wild boars of the king of See also:Italy's preserves—from the mouth of the See also:Tiber to See also:Antium, and thence again to See also:Astura; but there are no traces of anybuildings previous to the imperial period. In one of these villas, excavated by the king of Italy in 1906, was found a See also:fine replica of the famous discobolus of See also:Myron. The See also:plan of the See also:building is interesting, as it diverges entirely from the normal type and adapts itself to the site. Some way to the N.W. was situated the See also:village of Vicus Augustanus Laurentium, taking its name probably from See also:Augustus himself, and probably identical with the village mentioned by See also:Pliny the younger as separated by only one villa from his own. This village was brought to See also:light by excavation in 1874, and its See also:forum and See also:curia are still visible. The remains of the villa of Pliny, too, were excavated in 1713 and in 1802-1819, and it is noteworthy that the place bears the name Villa di Pino (sic) on the See also:staff See also:map; how old the name is, is uncertain. It is impossible without further excavation to reconcile the remains—mainly of substructions—with the elaborate description of his villa given by Pliny (cf. H. Winnefeld in Jahrbuch See also:des Instituts, 1891, 200 seq.).
The site of the ancient Lavinium, no less than 300 ft. above sea-level and 22 M. inland, is far healthier than the low-lying Laurentum, where, except in the immediate vicinity of the coast, See also:malaria must have been a dreadful See also:scourge. It possesses considerable natural strength, and consists of a small See also: Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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