La Sila silva nell’ager publicus populi Romani alla luce di Dionigi di Alicarnasso e Cicerone: modalità e tempi di un’acquisizione

Abstract

The Sila silva in the ager publicus populi Romani in the light of Dionysius’and Cicero’s testimonies: forms and times of acquisition.

The ancient Sila silva (i.e. Aspromonte in primis) became part of agerpublicus populi Romani after the second Punic war, as probably shown byall ancient literary evidence. Along the Ionian part of Aspromonte, from thelast years of the IV cent. B.C., an autonomous ‘canton’ of Brettioi had developed, close to a fortified village near to the Herakleion akroterion (CapoSpartivento) in the area which nowadays is the Palizzi district. Afterthat this village was abandoned by the allies of Annibal in the early yearsof II cent. B.C., the Romans refused to give this ‘canton’ back to the ancientowners Lokroi Epizephyrioi. Instead, the area conquered by the Brettioi, probably including the ancient Hyporon, seems part of that half of theSila silva which finished into the ager Romanus after the second Punic war.
giuseppe.cordiano@unisi.it