Tabula of the Ligures Baebiani in the Museo Nazionale Romano

In ancient geography, the Ligures Baebiani were a settlement of

Ligurians The Ligures (singular Ligur; Italian: liguri; English: Ligurians) were an ancient people after whom Liguria, a region of present-day north-western Italy, is named. Ancient Liguria corresponded more or less to the current Italian regi ...

Samnium Samnium ( it, Sannio) is a Latin exonym for a region of Southern Italy anciently inhabited by the Samnites. Their own endonyms were ''Safinim'' for the country (attested in one inscription and one coin legend) and ''Safineis'' for the The lan ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

History

The towns of ''Taurasia'' (not to be confused with modern Taurasi) and '' Cisauna'' in Samnium had been captured in 298 BC by the

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states th ...

L. Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, and the territory of the former remained Roman state domain (''

ager publicus The ''ager publicus'' (; "public land") is the Latin name for the public land of Ancient Rome. It was usually acquired via the means of expropriation from enemies of Rome. History In the earliest periods of Roman expansion in central Italy, th ...

''). In 180 BC, 47,000 Ligurians, the Ligures Apuani, a people repeatedly noted by Livy as the most formidable of the Ligurian tribes who controlled the region from the coastal neighborhoods of

Luna Luna commonly refers to: * Earth's Moon, named "Luna" in Latin * Luna (goddess), the ancient Roman personification of the Moon Luna may also refer to: Places Philippines * Luna, Apayao * Luna, Isabela * Luna, La Union * Luna, San Jose Romani ...

to Tuscany's Apuan Alps and Apennine mountains, including women and children, were forcibly deported to this district in southern Italy. Two settlements were formed, the ''Ligures Baebiani'' and the ''Ligures Corneliani'', taking their names from the consuls of 181 BC who oversaw their deportation, M. Baebius Tamphilus and P. Cornelius Cethegus.

Location and archaeology

The site of the former town lies 15 m. north of Beneventum in the Macchia district of the municipality of modern

Circello Circello ( Beneventan: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Benevento in the Italian region Campania, located about northeast of Naples and about 25 km north of Benevento and approximately above sea level. Circello borders ...

,Circello Touris
"Scavi Archeologici di Macchia"
Retrieved on 25 May 2017. on the road to Saepinum and

Aesernia Isernia () or, in Pliny and later writers, ''Eserninus'', or in the Antonine Itinerary, ''Serni''. is a town and ''comune'' in the southern Italian region of Molise, and the capital of province of Isernia. Geography Situated on a rocky crest ...

. In its ruins several inscriptions have been found, notably a large bronze tablet discovered in a public building in the Forum bearing the date AD 101, and relating to the alimentary institution founded by

Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presid ...

here (see Veleia). A sum of money was lent to landed proprietors of the district (whose names and estates are specified in the inscription), and the interest which it produced formed the income of the institution, which, on the model of that of Veleia, would have served to support a little over one hundred children. The capital was 401,800 ''

sesterces The ''sestertius'' (plural ''sestertii''), or sesterce (plural sesterces), was an ancient Roman coin. During the Roman Republic it was a small, silver coin issued only on rare occasions. During the Roman Empire it was a large brass coin. The na ...

'', and the annual interest probably at 5%, i.e. 20,090 ''sesterces''. The site of the other settlement, that of the ''Ligures Corneliani'' is unknown. See

Theodor Mommsen Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen (; 30 November 1817 – 1 November 1903) was a German classics, classical scholar, historian, jurist, journalist, politician and archaeologist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest classicists of the 19 ...

in '' Corp. Inscr. Lat.'' ix. (Berlin, 1883), 125 sqq.

References

* ;Specific {{Archaeological sites in Campania Roman towns and cities in Italy Archaeological sites in Campania