Interamna Lirenas


Interamna Lirenas was an ancient Roman colony near the current Pignataro Interamna, in the southern province of Frosinone, central Italy.
Modern archaeological excavations at the site commenced in 2010.

History

Interamna Lirenas was founded in 312 BC as a colonia of Latins in an area perhaps already housing Volscan settlements, on the route of the Via Latina. It was situated at the confluence of the Liri and Rio Spalla Bassa rivers, whence the name "Interamna".
Interamna Lirenas served as a military base during the Samnite Wars, leading to its destruction by the Samnites in 294 BC. It was again ravaged by Hannibal in 212 BC; since it later sided with Carthage, after the Carthaginian defeat at Zama in 202 BC it was forced by Rome to pay heavy tribute.
It became a municipium in about 88 BC following the Social Wars when its population became Roman citizens.
In 46 BC Julius Caesar become patronus of the city and the site received further settled veterans ca. 40 BC.
The town was thought to have been a relative backwater but recent archaeology has raised its importance.

Archaeology

Archaeological remains include numerous inscriptions and remains of buildings. The archaeological site has been sampled by use of geophysical techniques, leading to the discovery of the site of a Roman theatre.
An inscribed ancient sundial donated by Marcus Novius Tubula after his election to the exalted position of Plebeian Tribune in Rome was discovered in the ruins of the theatre in 2017.