“History tells us our story” A multilateral Comenius Project

1. 3rd High School of Katerini Militou 1, Katerini “History tells us our story”A multilateral Comenius Project THE Archeological site of Minturnae

2. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae I prefer mythology to history because history stars from reality and ends up in lies whereas mythology stars from lies and ends up in truth, Bernardo Bertolucci "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project

3. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae Minturnae On the right (and left) bank of the Liris river separating Latium from Campania, 2 km from the sea, Minturnae was originally an Ausonian town (7 c. B.C.) of which no archaeological traces have been found, but it was presumably on or near the Roman site. "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project

4. The castrum itself is essentially unexplored, but the area seems too small to accommodate an intramural forum; possibly its earliest forum (63 x 50 m) lay slightly W of the castrum and opened S onto the Appia. The castrum itself is essentially unexplored, but the area seems too small to accommodate an intramural forum; possibly its earliest forum (63 x 50 m) lay slightly W of the castrum and opened S onto the Appia. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae Roman sources first mention it in 340 B.C. (Livy 8.10). In 313 it was captured by Rome with great slaughter. Two years later the Via Appia was laid through the present site, and in 295 a Roman colony was settled on the right bank astride the Appia in a rectangular castrum (ca. 3 ha) with a polygonal limestone wall of which some bedding remains. The castrum itself is essentially unexplored, but the area seems too small to accommodate an intramural forum; possibly its earliest forum (63 x 50 m) lay slightly W of the castrum and opened S onto the Appia. "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project

5. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae Before 207 B.C., perhaps in connection with the Hannibalic wars, the city had been greatly extended W and S by a new ashlartufa wall with square and pentagonal towers 14.7 m apart, and a W gate. Meanwhile, after the presumed fire of 191 the forum was rebuilt with a double colonnade on E, N and W. In the W half a freestanding temple , presumably the Capitolium, now faced S onto the Appia. This forum and a considerable additional area were again destroyed by fire later than 65 B.C. but before ca. 45; an important expiatory bidental was consecrated in the forum; "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project

6. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae the Capitolium, now in limestone, "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project

7. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae and the colonnade were rebuilt by a presumed colonization of Julius Caesar's veterans, perhaps as early as the First Triumvirate though possibly not for some years; "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project

8. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae Augustus again colonized veterans, and he or Tiberius added the most conspicuous present monuments of Minturnae, the aqueduct which entered the city at the W gate bringing water from the MontiAurunci 11 km away, "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project

9. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae and a theater for about 4600 persons. "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project

10. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae The theater was located in an open area immediately N of the forum, of which the outside of the N wall now served as the scaena, and the cavea extended out across the Hannibalic ashlar N city wall, of which traces are found under the theater arches. "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project

11. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae At the same time or perhaps as late as A.D. 30 Temple A, perhaps dedicated to Rome and Augustus and embellished with a statue of Tiberius or Augustus, was placed in the E half of the forum, likewise fronting S onto the Appia; the revetment of its podium included a unique series of 29 reused dedicatory inscriptions (altars?), mostly datable between 90 and 64 B.C., listing freed and slave magistri and magistrae of several local cults. At some point the Republican forum was outgrown and a larger imperial forum was installed opposite it across the Via Appia. This area is unexcavated except for a long E colonnade and the so-called L Street leading to the vaulted substructures of an otherwise unidentified Temple L of the late 1st c. A.D., and except for a small area in the center which yielded a deposit of wasters of a Campanian potter of ca. 200 B.C., and except for extensive baths and shops near the NW corner, fronting on the Via Appia, and some shops on the rear (S) side across L Street from Temple L. These last groups and some other details result from post-WW II excavations. During Hadrian's reign alterations modernized and embellished the scaena of the theater and well-houses were installed at the S ends of the E and W colonnades of the Republican forum, which was now wholly closed to traffic by walls and a propylon. "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project

12. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae In 1966-67 and 1971 underwater excavations and land explorations showed wooden pilings and concrete rubble remains of Cicero's ponsTirenus (or Teretinus?) carrying the Appia over the Liris directly from the castrum, and another road (to Arpinum?) turning N from the castrum by a long causeway on the right bank toward another Roman bridge and cemetery. "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project

13. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae A variety of concrete blocks, amphorae, etc. was found upstream from the modern bridge; downstream an area 250 m long off the right bank was characterized by a ledge of concretion containing some marble sculpture of no outstanding interest, terracottas including votive offerings, common pottery and sigillata, sufficient keys and bolts to suggest a locksmith's shop nearby, an astounding amount of lead, hooks, and weights connected with fishing, and 2229 coins (270 B.C-ca. A.D. 450, with heaviest representation between 27 B.C. and A.D. 192). All this is evidence of a busy quay during several centuries. "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project

14. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae Marius escaped to, and from, Minturnae. Cicero often passed through it. It is mentioned frequently in ancient sources, though rarely after Tacitus, with final mentions by Procopius regarding A.D. 548 and by Gregory I regarding the Langobard destruction in 590. From the 8th c. on it served as a quarry for Traetto nearby, and later for Cassino. Major unexcavated and/or unpublished monuments include the imperial forum, walls, and gates (see Richmond's discussion), the amphitheater, Temple B, ca. 200 m of reticulate docks and shipways on the Liris, the theater (except for Aurigemma's description and plans), the aqueduct (except for Butler's description and photographs), and the left-bank dependencies of the city. "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project

15. 2011-2013 The archeological site of Minturnae "History tells us our story" A Multilateral Comenius Project