The latest findings reveal the extent of the destruction wrought by the Roman. (Image: LEIZA/Dominik Maschek)
have reportedly discovered a city that was besieged by the over 2,000 years ago after its inhabitants rebelled against the empire. The city was destroyed so completely that it remained uninhabited for nearly two centuries.
Researchers have excavated the remains of Fregellae, an ancient city allied with Rome, in present-day Italy to gain insight into its social and economic structure before and after its destruction in 125 BC.
Recent digs at the region’s oldest villa, along with a Roman military camp outside the city, indicate that the attack devastated Fregellae’s economy so severely that the area remained uninhabited for over 170 years.
According to archaeologists, the villa, located about 60 miles from Rome and built around 205 BC – 80 years before the siege of Fregellae – is the oldest structure of its kind found in the region.
Evidence of destruction from the Roman assault was uncovered at the villa, including a layer of fire damage and pottery fragments.
The ancient villa sat just 60 miles from the capital, Rome. (Image: Getty)
The ongoing excavation is shedding new light on rural life and the economic practices of the region’s inhabitants during that period.
Analysis of seeds and plant remains from the site reveals that the villa complex produced wine, fruit, and grain.
According to the researchers, the wine was “not only for the local market”, but also for wider Mediterranean trade “as far as Spain and France”.
Scientists now believe that the site’s destruction was likely intended to cripple the city’s inhabitants economically.
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While the exact cause of the rebellion is not entirely clear, scholars suggest it may have stemmed from the people of the allied city demanding full Roman citizenship, particularly for complete legal rights in land ownership.
Researchers note that during the time of the rebellion, Rome’s consuls were engaged in military campaigns abroad.
Archaeologist Dominik Maschek from the Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie said: “The violent destruction caused lasting damage to the entire economy of the region. The landscape remained uninhabited for over 170 years until the area was finally used as a rubbish dump.”
Scientists also assessed the ruins of the Roman military camp on the outskirts of the ancient city.
They found that the camp, built specifically for the siege, covered an area of about 90 by 143 metres, surrounded by a rampart and a ditch.
This construction, researchers say, coincides with Roman military strategy and siege tactics.
“This new information consolidates our picture of the Roman siege in 125 BCE,” Dr Maschek said.
The Roman forces commanded by Lucius Opimius attacked the Latin town of Fregellae and destroyed it, an episode that came as part of a series of crises ultimately leading to the Social War of 91 BC to 87 BC when all of Rome’s Italian allies demanded full citizenship.
The latest findings reveal the extent of the destruction wrought by the Roman campaign against Fregellae, showing the changes that shook the surrounding cultural landscape after the attack.