Listed 6 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for wider area of: "SALAPIA Ancient city PUGLIA" .
SALAPIA (Ancient city) PUGLIA
Salapia (Salapia Eth. Salapinos; Salapinus: Salpi), one of the most
considerable cities of Apulia, situated on the coast of the Adriatic, but separated
from the open sea by an intervening lagune, or saltwater lake, which was known
in ancient times as the Salapina Palus (Lucan v.377; Vib. Seq. p. 26), and is
still called the Lago di Salpi. This lagune has now only an artificial outlet
to the sea through the bank of sand which separates them; but it is probable that
in ancient times its communications were more free, as Salapia was certainly a
considerable sea-port and in Strabo's time served as the port both of Arpi and
Canusium (Strab. vi. p. 284). At an earlier period it was an independent city,
and apparently a place of considerable importance. Tradition ascribed its foundation,
as well as that of the neighbouring cities of Canusium and Arpi, to Diomedes (Vitruv.
i. 4. § 12); or, according to others, to a Rhodian colony under Elpias (Id. ib.;
Strab. xiv. p. 654).1 There is no trace of its having received a Greek colony
in historical times, though, in common with many other cities of the Daunian Apulians,
it seems to have imbibed a large amount of Hellenic influence. This was probably
derived from the Tarentines, and did not date from a very early period.
The name of Salapia is not mentioned in history till the Second Punic
War, in which it bears a considerable part. It was evidently one of the cities
of Apulia which revolted to Hannibal after the battle of Cannae (Liv. xxii. 61);
and a few years after we find it still in his possession. It was apparently a
place of strength, on which account he collected there great magazines of corn,
and established his winter quarters there in B.C. 214. (Id. xxiv. 20.) It remained
in his hands after the fall of Arpi in the following year (Id. xxiv. 47); but
in B.C. 210 it was betrayed into the power of Marcellus by Blasius, one of its
citizens, who had been for some time the leader of the Roman party in the place,
and the Numidian garrison was put to the sword. (Id. xxvi. 88; Appian, Annib.
45-47.) Its loss seems to have been a great blow to the power of Hannibal in this
part of Italy; and after the death of Marcellus, B.C. 208, he made an attempt
to recover possession of it by stratagem; but the fraud was discovered, and the
Carthaginian troops were repulsed with loss. (Liv. xxvii. 1, 28; Appian, Annib.
51.) No subsequent mention of it is found till the Social War, in the second year
of which, when the tide of fortune was beginning to turn in favour of Rome, it
was taken by the Roman praetor C. Cosconius, and burnt to the ground (Appian,
B.C. i. 51). After this time it appears to have fallen into a state of decay,
and suffered severely from malaria in consequence of the exhalations of the neighbouring
lagune. Vitruvius tells us, that at length the inhabitants applied to M. Hostilius,
who caused them to remove to a more healthy situation, about 4 miles from the
former site, and nearer the sea, while he at the same time opened fresh communications
between the lagune and the sea (Vitruv. i. 4. § 12). We have no clue to the time
at which this change took place, but it could hardly have been till after the
town had fallen into a declining condition. Cicero, indeed, alludes to Salapia
as in his day notorious for its pestilential climate (de Leg. Agr. ii. 27); but
this may be understood as relating to its territory rather than the actual town.
Vitruvius is the only author who notices the change of site; but if his account
can be depended upon, the Salapia mentioned by Pliny and Ptolemy as well as Strabo,
must have been the new town, and not the original city of the name. (Strab. vi.
p. 284; Plin. iii. 12. s. 17; Ptol. iii. 1. § 16.) The Liber Coloniarum also speaks
of it as a colony adjoining tire sea-coast, which doubtless refers to the new
town of the name. This does not, however, seem to have ever risen into a place
of much importance, and the name subsequently disappears altogether. Extensive
ruins of Salapia are still visible on the southern shore of the Lago di Salpi,
in a tract of country now almost wholly desolate. They evidently belong to a city
of considerable size and importance, and must therefore be those of the ancient
Apulian city. This is further confirmed by the circumstance that the coins of
Salapia, which of course belong to the period of its independence, are frequently
found on the spot. (Swinburne's Travels, vol. i. p. 81.) The site of the Roman
town founded by M. Hostilius is said to be indicated by some remains on the seashore,
near the Torre di Salpi. (Romanelli, vol. ii. p. 201.)
The lagune still called the Lago di Salpi is about 12 miles in length
by about 2 in breadth. At its eastern extremity, where it communicates with the
sea by an artificial cut, are extensive salt-works, which are considered to be
the representatives of those noticed in the Itineraries under the name of Salinae.
It is by no means certain (though not improbable) that these ancient salt-works
occupied the same site as the modern ones; and the distances given in the Itineraries
along this line of coast, being in any case corrupt and confused, afford no clue
to their identification. (Itin. Ant. p. 314; Tab. Peut.) It is probable that the
name of Salapia itself is connected with sal, the lagune having always been well
adapted for the collection of salt.
The coins of Salapia, as well as those of Arpi and Canusium, have
Greek legends, and indicate the strong influence of Greek art and civilisation,
though apparently at a late period, none of them being of an archaic style. The
magistrates' names which occur on them (DAZS, PPSAAOS, &c.) are, on the contrary,
clearly of native origin. (Mommsen, U. I. D. pp. 82, 83.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited August 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Now Salpi. An ancient town of Apulia, in the district Daunia, was situated south of Sipontum, on a lake named after it. It is not mentioned till the Second Punic War, when it revolted to Hannibal after the battle of Cannae; but it subsequently surrendered to the Romans, and delivered to the latter the Carthaginian garrison stationed in the town.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
On the Adriatic coast N of Trinitapolis, near the Salapina palus Lago di Salpi. The ruins of the ancient town are found along the road which leads from Zapponeta to the district of Torre Pietra. (The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites)
An ancient city on the Adriatic coast N of Trinitapolis, near the
Salapina palus (Luc. 5.377) Lago di Salpi, today largely drained. According to
legend, it was founded by Diomedes or by Elpias of Rhodes (Vitr. 1.14.12; Strab.
14.654). Others attribute Trojan origins to the city (Lycoph. 1129). The city
was not, however, colonized by the Greeks in the historic period. As an important
center of Daunia with its own mint (the name Salapinon or Salpinon are found on
bronze coins), it participated actively in the second Punic war. In 214 B.C. Hannibal
seized the city and set up his winter quarters there, but M. Claudius Marcellus
reoccupied it in 210 (Livy 24.20; 26.38). During the social war (App. BCiv. 1.51),
the city was destroyed, and it gradually disappeared because the lagoon was becoming
a swamp. The ruins of the ancient town are found along the road which leads from
Zapponeta to the district of Torre Pietra.
According to Vitruvius (bc. cit.), the old city was abandoned, made
unhealthy because of malaria, and the inhabitants in the 1st B.C. moved ca. 6.4
km away to a healthier place, where a harbor was developed by joining the Lago
di Salpi with the sea. The new Salapia was a Roman municipium and is mentioned
by the writers of land survey as a colony (Grom. Vet. 210.261). Significant traces
have recently been brought to light in the zone called Monte di Salpi, where it
is believed that the second city rose.
F. G. Lo Porto, ed.
This text is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Nov 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
Receive our daily Newsletter with all the latest updates on the Greek Travel industry.
Subscribe now!
