LITERNUM

liternum, an ancient town of campania, italy, on the low sandy coast between cumae and the mouth of the volturnus. it was probably once dependent on cumae. in 194 b.c. it became a roman colony. it is mainly famous as the residence of the elder scipio, who withdrew from rome and died here. his tomb and villa are described by seneca. augustus is said to have conducted here a colony of veterans,[1] but the place never had any great importance, and the lagoons behind it made it unhealthy, though the construction of the via domitiana through it must have made it a posting station. it ceased to exist in the 8th century. no remains are visible. see j. beloch, _campanien_, ed. ii. (breslau, 1890), 377. footnote: [1] mommsen in c.i.l. x. 343 does not accept this statement, but an inscription found in 1885 confirms it.