Alsium
Encyclopedia
Alsium was an ancient city on the coast of Etruria
, between Pyrgi
and Fregenae
, at the distance of 18 miles from the Portus Augusti (mod. Porto) at the mouth of the Tiber
(Itin. Ant.
p. 301.), on the Via Aurelia
, by which it is about 35 km from Rome
. It was one of the oldest cities of Etruria, but does not appear in history until the Roman
colonization of 247 BCE, and was never of great importance, except as a resort of wealthy Romans, many of whom (Pompey
, the Antonine emperors) had villas there.
in connection with the aborigines, and afterwards wrested from them by the Tyrrhenians (Etruscans). But no mention of it occurs in history as an Etruscan city, or during the wars of that people with Rome. In 247 BCE, a Roman colony was established there, which was placed on the same footing with the other coloniae maritimae; and in common with these claimed exemption from all military service, a claim which was, however, overruled during the exigencies of the Second Punic War
. No subsequent notice of it occurs in history, but its name is mentioned by Strabo
, Pliny
, and Ptolemy
, and we learn from an inscription of the time of Caracalla
that it still retained its colonial rank, and corresponding municipal organization.
It appears to have early become a favorite resort with the wealthy Romans as a place of retirement and pleasure; thus we find that Pompey the Great had a villa there, and Julis Caesar also, where he landed on his return from Africa
, and at which all the nobles of Rome hastened to greet him. Another is mentioned as belonging to Verginius Rufus, the guardian of Pliny, and we learn from Fronto that the emperor Marcus Aurelius had a villa there, to which several of his epistles are addressed. At a later period the town itself had fallen into utter decay, but the site was still occupied by villas, as well as that of the neighbouring Pyrgi.
Northeast of Palo is a row of large mounds called I Monteroni, which belong to tombs of the Etruscan
cemetery. Considerable remains of ancient villas still exist along the low sandy coast, one of which, just east of Palo, occupies an area of some 400 by 250 m. The medieval castle belongs to the Odescalchi family. Palo includes today only the old castle: it is part of the comune
of Ladispoli
, a bathing resort founded by Prince Ladislao Odescalchi in 1888.
Etruria
Etruria—usually referred to in Greek and Latin source texts as Tyrrhenia—was a region of Central Italy, an area that covered part of what now are Tuscany, Latium, Emilia-Romagna, and Umbria. A particularly noteworthy work dealing with Etruscan locations is D. H...
, between Pyrgi
Pyrgi
Pyrgi was an ancient Etruscan port in Latium, central Italy, to the north-west of Caere. Its location is now occupied by the burgh of Santa Severa....
and Fregenae
Fregenae
Fregenae , was a maritime town of ancient Etruria, situated between Alsium and the mouth of the Tiber. It is mentioned by Livy among the coloniae maritimae Fregenae , was a maritime town of ancient Etruria, situated between Alsium and the mouth of the Tiber. It is mentioned by Livy among the...
, at the distance of 18 miles from the Portus Augusti (mod. Porto) at the mouth of the Tiber
Tiber
The Tiber is the third-longest river in Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Umbria and Lazio to the Tyrrhenian Sea. It drains a basin estimated at...
(Itin. Ant.
Antonine Itinerary
The Antonine Itinerary is a register of the stations and distances along the various roads of the Roman empire, containing directions how to get from one Roman settlement to another...
p. 301.), on the Via Aurelia
Via Aurelia
The Via Aurelia was a Roman road in Italy constructed around the year 241 BC. The project was undertaken by C. Aurelius Cotta, who at that time was censor...
, by which it is about 35 km from Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. It was one of the oldest cities of Etruria, but does not appear in history until the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
colonization of 247 BCE, and was never of great importance, except as a resort of wealthy Romans, many of whom (Pompey
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
, the Antonine emperors) had villas there.
History
Its name is mentioned by Dionysius (i. 20) among the cities which were founded by the PelasgiansPelasgians
The name Pelasgians was used by some ancient Greek writers to refer to populations that were either the ancestors of the Greeks or who preceded the Greeks in Greece, "a hold-all term for any ancient, primitive and presumably indigenous people in the Greek world." In general, "Pelasgian" has come...
in connection with the aborigines, and afterwards wrested from them by the Tyrrhenians (Etruscans). But no mention of it occurs in history as an Etruscan city, or during the wars of that people with Rome. In 247 BCE, a Roman colony was established there, which was placed on the same footing with the other coloniae maritimae; and in common with these claimed exemption from all military service, a claim which was, however, overruled during the exigencies of the Second Punic War
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
. No subsequent notice of it occurs in history, but its name is mentioned by Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
, Pliny
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
, and Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
, and we learn from an inscription of the time of Caracalla
Caracalla
Caracalla , was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he murdered the latter in 211...
that it still retained its colonial rank, and corresponding municipal organization.
It appears to have early become a favorite resort with the wealthy Romans as a place of retirement and pleasure; thus we find that Pompey the Great had a villa there, and Julis Caesar also, where he landed on his return from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and at which all the nobles of Rome hastened to greet him. Another is mentioned as belonging to Verginius Rufus, the guardian of Pliny, and we learn from Fronto that the emperor Marcus Aurelius had a villa there, to which several of his epistles are addressed. At a later period the town itself had fallen into utter decay, but the site was still occupied by villas, as well as that of the neighbouring Pyrgi.
The site
The site of Alsium is clearly fixed by the distance from Porto, at the modern village of Palo, with a fort and mole of the 17th century, in the construction of which many ancient materials have been used. Besides these, the whole shore to the east of the village, for the space of more than a mile, is occupied by the remains of buildings which appear to have belonged to a Roman villa of imperial date, and of the most magnificent scale and style of construction.Northeast of Palo is a row of large mounds called I Monteroni, which belong to tombs of the Etruscan
Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
cemetery. Considerable remains of ancient villas still exist along the low sandy coast, one of which, just east of Palo, occupies an area of some 400 by 250 m. The medieval castle belongs to the Odescalchi family. Palo includes today only the old castle: it is part of the comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Ladispoli
Ladispoli
Ladispoli is a town and comune in the province of Rome, Lazio, central Italy.-History:Ladispoli occupies the area existed the ancient Alsium, the port of the Etruscan city of Cerveteri and later a Roman colony cited by Cicero....
, a bathing resort founded by Prince Ladislao Odescalchi in 1888.