SAMNIUM, or territory of the Samnites, an ancient nation of central Italy, comprised an extensive tract of country on both sides of the central ridge of the Apennines, including the valleys of the Vulturnua, Tamarus, and Calor, towards the Tyrrhenian Sea, and those of the Sarus, Tifernus, Trinius, and Erma; towards the Adriatic, and corres ponding to the present provinces of Sannio and Priucipato Ultra, and parts of Terra di Lavoro, and of Abruzzo Citra, in the kingdom of Naples. It was bounded N. by the Peligni and Marrucini, and by the Adriatic, for the Frentani, who extended along the coast of that sea, formed part of the Samnito confederation, and were also of Sabiue origin ; .E. by Apulia and Lucania; S. by the Campaniana, being divided from the latter by the ridges of Tifata and Taburnus; and W. by Latium and the country of the Marsi. The Samnites were originally a colony of the Sabini, which migrated in remote times, probably before the building of Rome, to the banks of the Vulturnus and the Tamarus, and thence spread on one side as far as the plains of Apulia, and ou the other to those of Campania. They were an agri cultural and pastoral people, and as their numbers increased beyond the means of subsistence, they followed the custom of their Sabine ancestors, and sent forth colonies, which were the origin of the Lucanians, who gradually extended as far as the southern extremity of the peninsula. The Samnites were divided into several nations or tribes, own by the names of Pentri, Caudini, Caraceni, Hirpini, and Frentani, the three first of which inhabited the country designated by the name of Sabinium Proper, having the Frentani on the north, and the Ilirpini to the south-east. Their principal towns were :—Bovianum, the head town of the Pentri (Livy, ix. 31), near the modern Bojano, at the foot of the lofty Mount Matese, near the source of the Tifernus; part of the walls, formed of irregular polygonal atones, still remaius. llovianum was entirely destroyed by an earthquake in the 9th century; its site is covered with a marshy alluvial soil, in which ancient remains have been found. The modern Bojano stands on a rocky hill, one of the lowest offshoots of Mount Mates; Zaernia, now hernia, on the opposite or western aide of the Matese ridge. Albite, south of Aaernia, in the valley of the Vulturnus. The modern Alife, which occupies the ancient site, still gives title to a bishop. The ancient walls, gates, and many other vestiges of antiquity, including ruins of a theatre, amphitheatre, and baths, still remain. after wards called Beneventnin. [BENEVENTO.] Caudium, long since destroyed, stood on the Appian Way, near the little river Isclero, 21 Roman miles from Capua, and 11 miles from Beneventum. It gave name to the pus or passes called Fureulm Caudinm, where the Samnites compelled the Roman army to pass under the yoke, ac. 321. ..e I klanunt, In the country of the Hirpini ; its remaine are within a mile of Mira bells, at a place called Le Grotte, on the high road from Naples to Puglia,Near this place are the celebrated Amsaneti Lakes, of which Virgil gives a fine description /En.,' TU. 563). Telesia, now Telese,
near the banks of the river Calore. A ufidena, or Alfidena, the chief town of the Caraceni, on a hill above the left bank of the Sagrus or Sangre, 5 tulles above Castel de Sangre). The remains of its massive walls prove it to have been a fortress of great strength. A village called Alfidena perpetuates the name, but does not stand on the ancient site. Tauraaium, ou the river Calore, where there are considerable remains, and several sepulchral inscriptions near the modern village of Diurnal. Pyrrhus was hero defeated by Curing Deutatus. Comma, now Conn, in a atroug position near one of the sources of the Aufidua or Ofanto. Hannibal occupied it immediately after the battle of Canova (n.c. 216) and deposited iu it his baggage and plunder. It was a municipal town under the empire, and continued to be a place of strength and importance in the middle ages. In the 10th century it became the seat of an archbishop, which it still is, although the modern town of Coaza has no more than 1200 inhabitants. &spinals, in the mountains cast of Bovianum. Abelliuum, now AVELLINO. Larinunz, commonly placed in the country of the Frentani, seems to have had au independent territory, comprising the country between the Tifernus (Biferno) and the Frcnto (Fortore). It continued to exist till A.D. 842, when it was ravaged by the Saracens, and the site abandoned for one about a mile to the westward, where the modern city of Larino stands. The ruins of the ancient town cover the summit of a hill called Monterone, and comprise portions of the walls, one of the gates, an amphitheatre, and a large building supposed to have been the senate house. llistoniunt, near the site of the preseut town of II Vasto. Anxanunt, the remains of which are on a hill near the town of Lanciano. Ortona, which has retained its name, and was the chief fortified town of the Frentani. [Annozzo.] The Samuites brought at various timea as many as 80,000 armed men into the field. Their chief strength cousieted iu their infantry. Their government appears to have been a kind of aristocracy, in which the priests exercised a great influence. Livy (ix. 40) describes the army of the Samnites as splendidly accoutred; and (x. 46) he speaks of two millions of pounds weight of coined copper taken from them by the younger Papirius ; all which shows that the Samnites were no longer a rustic people. But they never became effeminate and corrupt like the Campanians, and they retained to the last their character for hardiness, perseverance, and devotedness to their country. Each of the nations of Samnite race had its own independent government, its magistrates, and its comitia. The chief magistrate of each nation was styled Meddix Tuticus, an Oscan denomivation, as the Samnites appear to have spoken a dialect of the Oscan, and to have used Oscan characters. It was only in cases of urgent necessity, such as resistance to a common invader, that the various Samnite states acted in concert, and then only for a time.