Arpinum

This article is about the ancient Roman city. For the modern Italian comune, see Arpino.

Arpinum
Arpinum Location of ancient Arpinum in modern Lazio
Coordinates: 41°38′52″N13°36′35″E / 41.64778°N 13.60972°E / 41.64778; 13.60972
Country	Roman Republic
Region	Latium
Founded	c. 7th century BC
Became	Modern Arpino
Government
• Type	Roman municipium (after 90 BC)
Elevation	447 m (1,467 ft)

Arpinum was an ancient Italic and later Roman city located in central Italy, approximately 100 km southeast of Rome. Its territory corresponds to the modern town of Arpino, in the province of Frosinone, region of Lazio. ^[1]

Originally inhabited by the Volsci and later controlled by the Samnites, Arpinum was absorbed into the Roman sphere and granted civitas sine suffragio in 305 BCE. It was elevated to a full Roman municipium with voting rights in 188 BCE.

Arpinum is best known as the birthplace of two major political and military figures of the late Roman Republic: Gaius Marius, a seven-time consul, and the orator and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero. ^[2]

History

Modern Arpino, site of ancient Arpinum

Pre-Roman period

The ancient settlement of Arpinum dates back to at least the 7th century BC. Archaeological evidence and historical accounts connect the site initially with the Pelasgi, an ancient people mentioned in classical sources. The settlement was later controlled by the Volsci, an Italic tribe that frequently came into conflict with early Rome. ^[3]

Beside the Roman town, there are fortified remains of a much earlier Samnite settlement. The high defensive walls feature the polygonal masonry construction associated with this people, including a distinctive pointed arch that can still be seen today. These structures generally date from the early Roman period to about 400 BC. Arpinum, along with Atina and Cominium, was known as a Samnite stronghold before Roman conquest. ^[4]

The ancient settlement's polygonal walls, which still partially survive, were constructed using different techniques and materials depending on location. Archaeological research identifies multiple construction styles, including what scholars call "type II and III, an irregular masonry made with great blocks of local stones (a conglomerate with travertine locally called puddinga)" in the upper parts of the settlement, and a more refined "IV style" using "calcare a libretto" stone in the lower sections. ^[5]

Roman period

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman consul, born in Arpinum

The Romans captured Arpinum in 305 BC and granted it civitas sine suffragio (citizenship without voting rights), a status often given to newly incorporated territories. In 188 BC, the city received full voting rights in Roman elections, and in 90 BC, following the Social War, it was granted the status of a municipium. ^[3]

During the late Republic, Arpinum underwent notable urban development. A Latin inscription discovered at the site (CIL X 5679) records the construction and inspection of public works, including roads (viae), sidewalks (crepidines), and sewers (cloacae), carried out by the local aediles acting under the authority of the municipal senate. These works demonstrate the city's integration into Roman standards of civic infrastructure and urban sanitation. ^[6] Archaeological excavations in Piazza Municipio have uncovered a stretch of the ancient decumanus maximus, paved with basalt blocks and featuring an underground sewer system, confirming the implementation of such infrastructure in the urban fabric of Roman Arpinum. ^[6]

Arpinum gained particular prominence for producing two significant Roman consuls despite being a provincial town:

1. Gaius Marius (157–86 BC) – A Roman general and statesman who was elected consul an unprecedented seven times. He reformed the Roman military and was instrumental in defeating the Cimbri and Teutones invasions that threatened Italy in 101 BC.

2. Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BC) – One of Rome's greatest orators, statesmen, and philosophers. As consul in 63 BC, he suppressed the Catilinarian conspiracy. In his speeches before Roman courts, Cicero would often praise his hometown's contributions to the Republic when political opponents attacked him as a "foreigner" from outside Rome proper. ^[2]

Cicero maintained a deep attachment to Arpinum throughout his life. In letters to his friend Atticus, he frequently referred to the peace and quiet of his beloved birthplace. He owned a villa near Arpinum, believed to be located in the Liri valley, a little north of the modern Isola del Liri. The current church of S. Domenico is thought to mark this site. ^[3]

Arpinum's impressive defensive walls remained important during the Roman period. Historical evidence indicates that "in the 1st century BC, restorations to walls and a tower" were already documented, though their exact locations are not specified in surviving sources. ^[5] This suggests ongoing maintenance and strategic significance of the settlement's fortifications even during the Pax Romana.

There is also an oral tradition suggesting that Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, the famous general and son-in-law of Emperor Augustus, may have been a native of Arpinum, though historians have not been able to confirm his birthplace conclusively. ^[7]

Post-Roman period

Following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, Arpinum remained inhabited and gradually developed into a fortified medieval town. The settlement incorporated and expanded upon its ancient Volscian and Roman polygonal walls, creating a complex architectural palimpsest spanning from antiquity through the medieval period. ^[5]

Around 702 AD, the Byzantine oppidum of Hirpinum was conquered by the Longobards under Gisulf, Duke of Benevento. After 858 AD, it passed to the Frankish duke of Spoletium, Guidus. ^[5] Due to its strategic location in the Liri Valley, it remained a contested frontier between competing powers throughout the Early Middle Ages.

By the 11th century, Norman influence reached Arpino, with records showing the Norman knight Nicolaus Frainella as lord of Arpino by 1139. The town later came under Hohenstaufen control and is listed in Frederick II's Statutum de Reparatione Castrorum (c. 1241-1246), indicating imperial attention to its defenses. ^[5] Historical records show that rather than being destroyed during this period, Arpino's twin castles of Civitavecchia and Civita Falconara were continuously maintained, with documents from 1257 confirming their ongoing operation under imperial administration.

Archaeological remains

Ancient Roman basalt pavement in modern Arpino

Several significant archaeological features of ancient Arpinum remain visible in modern Arpino:

• Circuit walls in polygonal masonry – These impressive defensive structures stand up to 11 feet in height and up to seven feet in width. ^[3] The walls feature distinctive Pelasgian or Cyclopean construction techniques dating to the pre-Roman period. ^[8]

• Ogive arch – A rare example of a pointed arch in ancient Italian construction, incorporated into the defensive walls. This distinctive architectural feature predates the widespread use of pointed arches in medieval architecture by centuries.

• Porta a Ogiva – This significant ancient gate (6.40 m high and 3.20 m wide) provided access to the upper settlement of Civitavecchia. It was later modified in the late 14th or early 15th century when its entrance was barred by the addition of a circular-based tower equipped with loopholes for early firearms. ^[5]

• Roman roads and pavements – Sections of ancient Roman basalt pavement remain visible in parts of modern Arpino, indicating the town's integration into the Roman road network. Recent excavations at Piazza Municipio uncovered a section of the *decumanus maximus*, a main Roman road. The road was paved with large basalt slabs, and the area also revealed a cloaca, a Roman sewage system, which further confirms Arpinum's advanced urban infrastructure during the Roman period. ^[6]

• Ancient bridge – Near the supposed site of Cicero's villa lies an ancient bridge that was part of a road connecting Arpinum to Cereatae (modern Casamari), the birthplace of Gaius Marius. ^[3]

Cultural significance

Arpinum occupied a notable place in Roman historical consciousness as the birthplace of two influential figures of the Republic: Marcus Tullius Cicero and Gaius Marius. Both men exemplified the novus homo (“new man”), a term used for individuals who were the first in their family to reach the consulship, symbolizing Rome’s ideal of social mobility based on merit. ^{[9] [10]}

Political symbolism

Cicero often referenced his Arpinate origin in his speeches, portraying himself as a representative of Italy's municipal elite and as a moral counterweight to senatorial corruption. In Pro Sulla 22, he stated: Ego mehercule, iudices, a consuetudine municipali remotus non sum: Arpinum meum semper dilexi, semper amavi (“Indeed, judges, I have never been detached from municipal ways: I have always cherished and loved my Arpinum”). ^[11] In his speeches such as Pro Sexto Roscio Amerino and In Verrem, Cicero contrasts rural virtue with the moral decay he attributes to elements of the Roman elite. ^[12]

Gaius Marius also emphasized his humble origins from Arpinum. According to Sallust, Marius boasted of his lack of aristocratic ancestry and practical military experience as evidence of his suitability for leadership. ^[13] Plutarch similarly underscores how Marius used his provincial and plebeian background as part of his political appeal. ^[14]

The coincidence of both Cicero and Marius coming from the same small town was remarked upon by ancient writers. Valerius Maximus cited Arpinum as proof that greatness could arise from unexpected places. ^[15]

Cultural representations

The town's pre-Roman cyclopean walls were noted by ancient authors. Strabo refers to Arpinum's ancient fortifications and situates them among other early Italic architectural remains. ^[16]

The enduring strategic importance of Arpinum's ancient defensive structures extended well beyond the Roman period. The impressive pre-Roman cyclopean walls, approximately 3 kilometers in length and enclosing the twin hills of Civita Vetere and Civita Falconaria, led to Arpinum being classified as an "oppidum" in medieval sources. ^[17] These ancient fortifications, combined with the town's strategic position between the Liri and Melfa rivers, made Arpinum a critical frontier settlement in the Byzantine-Lombard conflicts of the 8th century, demonstrating how the town's ancient military architecture continued to shape its historical significance for centuries after the fall of the Roman Republic. ^[18]

Legacy in the Roman world

After Cicero’s death, his connection to Arpinum contributed to the town’s lasting fame. Quintilian praised Cicero as the supreme model of oratory, and later commentators occasionally referred to the “Arpinate” style as shorthand for his rhetorical excellence. ^[19]

Seneca the Younger mentions visits to Cicero’s former properties as part of a meditation on memory and virtue, reflecting early interest in literary pilgrimage. ^[20]

Augustus's broader policy of integrating Italian municipalities into Roman identity contributed to the continued cultural relevance of towns like Arpinum. ^{[21] [22]}

In art and literature

Richard Wilson - Cicero with his friend Atticus and brother Quintus, at his villa at Arpinum

Arpinum features in several notable artistic works:

• The Welsh landscape painter Richard Wilson (1714–1782) created a romantic landscape depicting "Cicero with his friend Atticus and brother Quintus, at his villa at Arpinum."

• The site is mentioned frequently in Cicero's own writings, particularly in his letters to Atticus, where he often expressed fondness for his birthplace.

See also

• Arpino – The modern Italian comune located at the site of ancient Arpinum
• Cicero – Roman statesman and orator born in Arpinum
• Gaius Marius – Roman general and statesman born near Arpinum
• Roman Republic – The political entity that incorporated Arpinum
• Volsci – Italic tribe that originally controlled the area

References

1. Richard Stillwell (14 March 2017). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites. Princeton University Press. pp. 95–. ISBN   978-1-4008-8658-6.
2. Roselaar, Saskia T. (2016). "Cicero and the Italians". In du Plessis, Paul J. (ed.). Cicero and the Italians: Expansion of Empire, Creation of Law. Rethinking Roman Law of the Late Republic. Edinburgh University Press. p. 154. ISBN   978-1-4744-0882-0. JSTOR   10.3366/j.ctt1g050m4.14.
3.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Ashby, Thomas (1911). "Arpino". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 641.
4. Dal Maso, Leonardo B; Vighi, Roberto (1979). Archeological Latium. Bonechi, Edizioni "Il Turismo".
5. Pietrobono, Sabrina (2016-17). "Polygonal walls and fortified landscape: the medieval castle of Arpino". The Castle Studies Group Journal. 30: 292–316.
6. Soldovieri, Umberto (2021). "Viae, crepidines e cloacae ad Arpinum: Rilettura di CIL, X 5679". Rivista del Dipartimento di Scienze dell'antichità. LXXII (72): 625–633. doi:10.48255/J.ArchCl.LXXII.2021.21.
7. Reinhold, Meyer (1933). Marcus Agrippa: A Biography. Geneva: W. F. Humphrey Press. p. 9. ISBN   9788870624144.
8. Charles Kelsall (1820). Classical Excursion from Rome to Arpino. author. p. 88.
9. Gruen, Erich S. (1974). The Last Generation of the Roman Republic. University of California Press, pp. 3–7.
10. Syme, Ronald (1939). The Roman Revolution. Oxford University Press, pp. 15–16.
11. Cicero, Pro Sulla 22.
12. Cicero, Pro Sexto Roscio Amerino 1–6; In Verrem 1.1–6.
13. Sallust, Bellum Jugurthinum 85.
14. Plutarch, Life of Marius 3–5.
15. Valerius Maximus, Facta et dicta memorabilia 3.4.5.
16. Strabo, Geography 5.3.9.
17. De Acutis, R. & Pietrobono, S. (2012). "Dati e nuove ricerche su un confine medievale nell'Italia centrale: il Lazio meridionale come 'terra di frontiera'". pp. 338-339.
18. De Acutis, R. & Pietrobono, S. (2012). "Dati e nuove ricerche su un confine medievale nell'Italia centrale: il Lazio meridionale come 'terra di frontiera'". p. 340.
19. Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria 10.1.112.
20. Seneca the Younger, Epistulae Morales ad Lucilium 49.1–3.
21. Woolf, Greg (1998). Becoming Roman: The Origins of Provincial Civilization in Gaul. Cambridge University Press, pp. 57–63.
22. Alföldy, Géza (1988). The Social History of Rome. Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 119–121.

Sources

• Purcell, N; Talbert, R; Elliott, T; Gillies, S; Becker, J (18 December 2020). "Places: 432700 (Arpinum)". Pleiades. Retrieved February 28, 2012.

External links

• Arpino heritage website