#samnite

Temple-Theater of Monte San Nicola, Casertano, Italy

Discovered accidentally by Nicolino Lombardi while flying in his ultralight helicopter, the Temple-Theater reveals a compelling story of historical intrigue dating back to the late Ancient Roman Republican period, possibly around the 2nd-1st century BC.

This remarkable archaeological site, hidden for centuries beneath overgrown vegetation, has sparked scholarly debate about whether the complex was built by Roman architects or indigenous Italic tribes like the Samnites.

Situated at an elevation of 410 meters in the scenic Sannio area, the presence of nearby tombs suggests that it fell out of use by the 2nd century AD. If the dating is accurate, the construction of the temple-theater coincided with Rome's victories over rivals such as Carthage and conflicts with local enemies.

Positioned strategically to overlook key northern routes, the complex likely represented Rome's growing power in the region.

The Anthropological Masterlist is HERE.

Rome was a European civilization that, at its peak, extended into many European, Asian, and African regions. Its impact has heavily influence many modern cultures.

ANCIENT ROME ─ “Ancient Rome (Roman Republic, Roman Empire, etc) was a Roman civilization that lived from the 8th century B.C.E. to 476 C.E., dissolving at the fall of the Western Roman Empire. They lived in much of western and eastern Europe at the peak of the Roman Empire.” ─ Roman Culture & History (Lectures 11-14) ─ Life of the Romans ─ The Founding of Rome

GALLIA AQUITANIA ─ “Gallia Aquitania was a region of the Roman Empire. It was located in southwest France.” ─ Aquitaine Information ─ Aquitaine Culture

GALLO-ROME ─ “Gallo-Roman is a term used to describe Gaulish culture under the rule of the Romans.” ─ Gallo-Roman Phonology

HISPANIA GALLAECIA ─ “Gallaecia, or Hispania Gallaecia, was a Roman province. It was located in modern-day Galicia.” ─ Gaels in Galicia

ROMAN BRITAIN ─ “The Romano-British period was a British period of time when large portions of Great Britain were under control of the Roman Empire, from 43 C.E. to 410 C.E.” ─ Roman Britain Information ─ Roman Britain Culture ─ Roman Britain History

Romance languages, or Latin languages, are the languages that evolved from Vulgar Latin. The cultures that Romance languages are native to have many cultural and linguistic influences to Ancient Rome. The Italic people were one of the most prominent Latin tribes that went on to form the Ancient Roman civilization, and from that, the Romance cultures branched out from them.

ARAGON ─ “The Aragonese people are a Romance people. They are native to the Aragon region in northeastern Spain.” ─ Aragon Information ─ Aragonese Language (in Aragonese)

THE CANARY ISLANDS ─ “The Canary Islands is a group of Spanish islands that belong to Spain. It is off the coast of Morocco.” ─ Canarian Spanish

CATALAN ─ “The Catalan people are a Romance people. They are native to Catalonia.” ─ Catalan Information ─ Catalan Language

ETRUSCA ─ “The Etruscan civilization was an Italic civilization that lived from 900 B.C.E. to 27 B.C.E. They lived in Tuscany.” ─ Etruscology ─ Etruscan Art ─ Etruscan Language

ITALY ─ “The Italian people are a Romance people that share the Italian culture. They are native to Italy.” ─ Italian Culture ─ Italian History ─ Italian Dictionary

OSCO-UMBRIAN ─ “The Osco-Umbrian group is an extinct Italic language group. They were native to southern and central Italy.” ─ Osco-Umbrian History (in Italian)

PORTUGAL ─ “The Portuguese people are a Romance people that share the Portuguese culture. They are native to Portugal.” ─ Portuguese Folktales ─ Portuguese History ─ Portuguese Language

ROMANIA ─ “The Romanian people are a Romance people that share the Romanian culture. They are native to Romania and Moldova.” ─ Romanian Culture ─ Romanian History ─ Romanian Grammar

SABINE ─ “The Sabines were an Italic people that lived until the 1st century B.C.E. They lived in the central Apennine Mountains in the Italian Peninsula.” ─ Rape of the Sabine Women (Pages 9-13)

SAMNITE ─ “The Samnites were an Italic people that lived from the 6th century B.C.E. to 298 B.C.E., when they were Romanized. They lived in the land of Samnium.” ─ Samnite Information ─ Samnite Culture (in Italian) ─ Samnite Religion

SARDINIA ─ “The Sardinian, or Sards, people are a Romance people. They are native to Sardinia.” ─ Sardinian Culture (in Italian) ─ Sardinian Dictionary

SPAIN ─ “The Spanish, or Spaniard, people are a Romance people that share the Spanish culture. They are native to Spain.” ─ Spanish Culture ─ Spanish History ─ Spanish Language (in Spanish)

Bronze Triple-Disc Breastplate from Ruvo, Southern Italy dated between 400-300 BCE on display at the British Museum in London, England

This type of armour was worn by Samnite warriors and would have been matched with a backplate, side-plates and hinged shoulder plates. Livy notes that the Samnites wore two “types” of armour on the battlefield, half of them in silver and half in gold coloured armour. It was also noted that their Roman opponents did not “shine” as brightly as the Samnites in battle though this may be a romantic depiction of them in the literature.

Samno-Attic Bronze Helmet, Late 5th-Early 4th Century BC

This type of helmet is so-called because of its close association with the Samnite warriors of central and southern Italy, and its derivation from the Greek Attic and Chalcidian type helmets. The form of any helmet was first and foremost functional, and its evolution was entirely dependent on the type of warfare fought and the cultural and artistic traditions of those who utilized it. Greek and Italic helmets of the fifth and fourth centuries BC, such as this example, evolved with new features to adapt to changing tactics in warfare, with the increasing importance of lighter equipment and tactical flexibility. This prompted the development of open-faced helmets, which gave the soldier greater visibility and ventilation with the inclusion of apertures for the ears. The Samno-Attic helmet was essentially a further development of the Chalcidian/Attic type that saw the disappearance of the nasal guard and a more spherical dome.