History Benevento

1 history

1.1 ancient era
1.2 duchy of benevento
1.3 papal rule
1.4 jewish history

history




ancient era

benevento, maleventum, 1 of chief cities of samnium, situated on via appia @ distance of 51 kilometres (32 mi) east capua on banks of river calor (modern calore). there discrepancy people belonged @ contact: pliny expressly assigns hirpini; livy seems consider belonging samnites proper, distinguished hirpini; , ptolemy adopts same view. ancient writers concur in representing ancient city; solinus , stephanus of byzantium ascribe foundation diomedes; legend appears have been adopted inhabitants, who, in time of procopius, pretended exhibit tusks of calydonian boar in proof of descent. festus, on contrary (s. v. ausoniam), related founded auson, son of ulysses , circe; tradition indicates ancient ausonian city, previous conquest samnites. first appears in history samnite city; , must have been place of strength, romans did not venture attack during first 2 wars samnites. appears, however, have fallen hands during third samnite war, though exact occasion unknown.

benevento in power of romans in 274 bc, when pyrrhus defeated in great battle, fought in immediate neighborhood, consul curius dentatus. 6 years later (268 bc) further sought secure possession establishing there roman colony latin rights. @ time first assumed name of beneventum, having been called maleventum, name romans regarded of evil augury, , changed 1 of more fortunate signification. probable oscan or samnite name maloeis, or malieis (Μαλιείς in ancient greek), whence form maleventum derive, agrigentum acragas (modern agrigento), selinuntium selinus (the ruins of @ modern selinunte), etc.

view of roman theatre of benevento.



panoramic view of benevento mount pentime, part of taburnus mountain range

as roman colony beneventum seems have become flourishing place; , in second punic war repeatedly occupied roman generals post of importance, on account of proximity campania, , strength fortress. in immediate neighborhood fought 2 of decisive actions of war: battle of beneventum, (214 bc), in carthaginian general hanno defeated tiberius gracchus; other in 212 bc, when camp of hanno, in had accumulated vast quantity of corn , other stores, stormed , taken roman consul quintus fulvius flaccus. , though territory more once laid waste carthaginians, still 1 of eighteen latin colonies in 209 bce @ once able , willing furnish required quota of men , money continuing war. no mention of occurs during social war, although seems have escaped calamities @ time befell many cities of samnium; towards close of roman republic benevento described 1 of opulent , flourishing cities of italy.

under second triumvirate territory portioned out triumvirs veterans, , subsequently fresh colony established there augustus, enlarged domain addition of territory of caudium (modern montesarchio). third colony settled there nero, @ time assumed title of concordia; hence find bearing, in inscriptions of reign of septimius severus, titles colonia julia augusta concordia felix beneventum. importance , flourishing condition under roman empire sufficiently attested existing remains , inscriptions; @ period unquestionably chief city of hirpini, , probably, next capua, populous , considerable city of southern italy. prosperity doubtless indebted in part position on via appia, @ junction of 2 principal arms or branches of great road, 1 called afterwards via trajana, leading thence aequum tuticum apulia; other aeclanum venusia (modern venosa) , tarentum (modern taranto). wealth evidenced quantity of coins minted beneventum. horace famously notes beneventum on journey rome brundusium (modern brindisi). indebted same circumstance honor of repeated visits emperors of rome, among of nero, trajan, , septimus severus, particularly recorded.

the arch of trajan, provided portcullis, appeared in 18th century, etching piranesi. of bas-reliefs in british museum.

it same reason triumphal arch, arch of trajan, erected there senate , people of rome , constructed architect apollodorus of damascus in 114. arch of trajan 1 of best-preserved roman structures in campania. repeats formula of arch of titus in roman forum, reliefs of trajan s life , exploits of reign. of sculptures in british museum. successive emperors seem have bestowed on city accessions of territory, , erected, or @ least given name to, various public buildings. administrative purposes first included, rest of hirpini, in second region of augustus, afterwards annexed campania , placed under control of consular of province. inhabitants included in stellatine tribe. beneventum retained importance down close of empire, , though during gothic wars taken totila, , walls razed ground, restored, public buildings, shortly after; , p. diaconus speaks of wealthy city, , capital of surrounding provinces.

beneventum indeed seems have been place of literary cultivation; birthplace of orbilius grammarian, long continued teach in native city before removed rome, , honored statue fellow-townsmen; while existing inscriptions record similar honors paid grammarian, rutilius aelianus, orators , poets, apparently of local celebrity.

the territory of beneventum under roman empire of considerable extent. towards west included of caudium, exception of town itself; north extended far river tamarus (modern tammaro), including village of pago veiano, which, learn inscription, anciently called pagus veianus; on northeast comprised town of aequum tuticum (modern sant eleuterio, near castelfranco in miscano), , on east , south bordered on territories of aeclanum , abellinum. inscription has preserved names of several of pagi or villages dependent upon beneventum, sites cannot identified.

the city s ancient coins bear legend malies or maliesa , have been supposed belong samnite, or pre-samnite, maleventum. coins legend benventod (an old latin – or samnite – form beneventor-um), must have been struck after became latin colony.

duchy of benevento

not long after had been sacked totila , walls razed (545), benevento became seat of powerful lombard duchy. circumstances of creation of duchy of benevento disputed. lombards present in southern italy before complete conquest of po valley: duchy have been founded in 576 soldiers led zotto, autonomously lombard king.

the principality of benevento appeared in 1000 ad.

zotto s successor arechis (died in 640), duchy of friuli, captured capua , crotone, sacked byzantine amalfi unable capture naples. after reign eastern roman empire had left in southern italy naples, amalfi, gaeta, sorrento, tip of calabria , maritime cities of apulia.

in following decades, benevento conquered territories roman-byzantine duchy, main enemies northern lombard reign itself. king liutprand intervened in several times imposing candidate of own duchy s succession; successor ratchis declared duchies of spoleto , benevento foreign countries forbidden travel without royal permission.

with collapse of lombard kingdom in 773, duke arechis ii elevated prince under new empire of franks, in compensation having of territory transferred papal states. benevento acclaimed chronicler second pavia — ticinum geminum— after lombard capital lost. unit of principality short-lived: in 851, salerno broke off under siconulf and, end of century, capua independent well. benevento ruled again byzantines between 891-895.

the so-called langobardia minor unified last time duke pandolfo testa di ferro, expanded extensive control in mezzogiorno base in benevento , capua. before death (march 981), had gained emperor otto title of duke of spoleto also. however, both benevento , salerno rebelled son , heir, pandulf ii.

the first decades of 11th century saw 2 more german-descended rulers southern italy: henry ii, conquered in 1022 both capua , benevento, returned after failed siege of troia. similar results obtained conrad ii in 1038. in these years 3 states (benevento, capua, , salerno) engaged in local wars , disputes favoured rise of normans mercenaries ruler of whole southern italy. greatest of them robert guiscard, captured benevento in 1053 after emperor henry iii had first authorised conquest in 1047 when pandulf iii , landulf vi shut gates him. these princes later expelled city , recalled after pope failed defend guiscard. city fell normans in 1077. papal city until after 1081.

papal rule

papal benevento in 18th century.

benevento passed papacy peacefully when emperor henry iii ceded leo ix, in exchange bishopric of bamberg (1053). landulf ii, archbishop of benevento, promoted reform, allied normans. deposed 2 years. benevento cornerstone of papacy s temporal powers in southern italy. papacy ruled appointed rectors, seated in palace, , principality continued papal possession until 1806, when napoleon granted minister talleyrand title of sovereign prince. talleyrand never settle down , rule new principality; in 1815 benevento returned papacy. united italy in 1860.

manfred of sicily lost life in 1266 in battle charles of anjou not far town, in course of battle of benevento.

jewish history

epigraphical evidence show jewish community had existed in benevento since fifth century @ least. @ 10th century, jewish traveller ahimaaz ben paltiel describes in chronicle jewish community of benevento, among other southern italy towns. 1 of relatives established yeshiva in town , large part of family ended residing in benevento. in 1065, prince landulf iv of benevento forced number of jews convert christianity. reproved doing pope alexander ii. when jewish traveller benjamin of tudela visited benevento in 1159 or 1165, described 200 jewish families living in it. being under papal rule (unlike rest of southern italy), jewish community of benevento not expelled, other southern italy jewish communities in 1541. nevertheless, expelled town later on 1569, under pope paul iv. in 1617 jewish community given permission settle in town, though 13 years later expelled once again after being accused of poisoning. since then, there no organized jewish community in benevento. nevertheless, jews had lived in benevento in unorganized manner during past centuries, in addition few israeli jews living in town in recent years, suffering of anti-semitic incidents.