British School at Rome: Papers of the British School at Rome (9.1920)

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The British School at Rome.

through Castel di Jeri and Castelvecchio Subequo,1 because such a detour
is quite unnatural and would involve an additional ten miles of travelling.
On the other hand it may be suggested that the Via Claudia Valeria
followed a course now represented by the path which strikes up the
valley running to the south-east of Goriano Sicoli and, passing between
La Difesa and II Morrone, descends down II Colle towards Raiano. This
country is difficult, but the estimated length of such a course is approxi-
mately m.p. vii. Wherever this ridge is crossed, there are difficulties to
be encountered, but the course seems reasonable. Perhaps we may take
it to the south of II Morrone through La Forchetta, a name which was
previously observed on the course of the road between the Forca Caruso
and Goriano Sicoli. I was unable to follow either of these tracks across
the ridge, but it seems by no means impossible that one of them may
represent the course of the road, especially as the estimated distance
agrees to all intents and purposes with that given by the Tabula Peu-
tingerana. The problem, however, requires accurate local investigation.
The village of'Frezza, lying E.-S.-E. of La Forchetta, is to be identified
with the ancient Lavernae,2 a place of some importance.
Whether the road passed through Raiano is a question which cannot
be precisely determined. The site, as excavations shew, was inhabited 3
in the Roman period and was probably a suburb of Corfinium. In any
1 Castelvecchio Subequo is on the site of Superaequum, one of the towns of the Paeligni,
cf. Mommsen, C.I.L. ix. p. 311. Important excavations were carried out there in 1898,
which throw light upon the site of the old town and its necropolis, which was probably in
the locality called Macrano, S. of the modern village (see p. 84, note 4). Not. Scav. 1898,
pp. 71-77, For further discoveries in the district see also Not. Scav. 1892, p. 170 (traces
of an ancient road leading from Superaequum towards the valley of the Aternus, through
which it may have gone on towards Aveia, cf. J.R.S. iii. 232.)
2 Mommsen, C.I.L. ix. p. 296. Lavernae is mentioned in Plutarch, Sulla, 6, who
speaks of a great earthquake which took place there during the Social War. It possessed
a temple of the Bona Dea and also a theatre. Not. Scav. 1897, p. 203. Monte S. Cosimo
(E. of Prezza) shews traces of occupation in primitive times, while a few insignificant
remains of the Roman period have come to light to the south of the hill. Cf. also Not.
Scav. 1878, p. 299 ; 1887, p. 296 ; 1888, p. 293 ; 1889, p. 253 ; 1890, p. 129 ; 1894, p. 290
(Roman and prehistoric tombs) ; 1899, p. 239.
3 Not. Scav. 1878, 319; 1880, 252; 1882, 118 ; 1891, 295; 1884, 109; 188, 293;
1890, 193 ; 1894, 195—256 ; 1898, 77 ; 1900, 242.
Traces of an ancient road (Not. Scav. 1880, 253) have been found north of Raiano
in the defile along which the Aterno passes into the plain. It was probably a deverticulum
connecting Superaequum (Castelvecchio Subequo) with Corfinium. To the S.W. of Raiano
polygonal walls and inhumation tombs have been discovered on the hills known as Var-
ranije and Raiano Vecchio.