CAXPANIA, anciently a province of central Italy, having Capua as its capital (now subdivided into the provinces of Benevento, Naples, Salerno, Avellino, and Caserta), was bounded on the s. by Lucania, c. by Sainnium, n. by Latium, and w. by the Tyrr henian sea. It was one of the most productive plains in the world, producing in extra ordinary abundance corn, wine, and oil; and both by Greek and Roman writers is cele brated for its soft and genial climate, its landscapes, and its harbors. It was the regio .feliz of the Romans, who built here many of their most splendid villas, etc. Through it passed the Appian Way, the greatest high-road of Italy. The promontory Misenum, Mt. Vesuvius, the river Vulturnus, the towns Balm, Curate, Lintcrnum, Putcoli, Naples, Herculaneum, Pompeii, Nola, Salernum, Capua, etc., belonged to Campania. It was the oldest Greek settlement in Italy, having been colonized, according to the later chronologers, about 1050 it.c.; but this is in all probability too early a date. It was
next conquered by the Etruscans, and several of the towns above mentioned, such as Capra and Nola, were founded by that people. The Etruscans then succumbed to the more warlike and hardy Samnites, who, in their turn, yielded to the irresistible valor of Rome (340 n.c.). Through all these vicissitudes of conquest, the substratum of the people remained as at the beginning. The mass of the Campanians were essentially of Oscan race, and Oscan they remained. Indeed, it is mainly from them that our knowl edge of the Oscan language is derived, and one of their towns—Atclla, between Capua and Naples—had the honor of introducing upon the early Roman stage a species of popular drama or comedy, which was greatly relished for its quaint and vigorous humor. See ATEMANX.