Aeclanum

Aeclanum

Eclano
View of the thermae with the opus reticulatum brickwork
Shown within Italy
Location	Mirabella Eclano (Province of Avellino, Italy)
Region	Campania
Coordinates	41°3′14″N 15°0′40″E / 41.05389°N 15.01111°E / 41.05389; 15.01111Coordinates: 41°3′14″N 15°0′40″E / 41.05389°N 15.01111°E / 41.05389; 15.01111
Type	Settlement
History
Periods	Roman Republic - Byzantine Empire
Cultures	Samnites - Ancient Rome
Site notes
Management	Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici di Salerno, Avellino, Benevento e Caserta
Public access	Yes
Website	Aeclanum

Aeclanum (also spelled Aeculanum, Italian: Eclano, Greek: Αικούλανον) was an ancient town of Samnium, southern Italy, c. 25 km east-southeast of Beneventum, on the Via Appia. It lies in Passo di Mirabella, near the modern Mirabella Eclano.

Aeclanum was on a promontory naturally defended, to some extent, by a steep slope on the south side down to the river Calore, while the north side lay open towards the crest of the ridge that carried what under the Roman Empire became the Via Appia. This led through Lacus Ampsanctus to Aquilonia and Venusia. Another route to Apulia, the Via Aurelia Aeclanensis diverged here, leading through modern Ariano to Herdoniae. The road from Aeclanum to Abellinum (mod. Avellino) may also follow an ancient line. Today there are ruins of the city walls, of an aqueduct, baths and an amphitheatre; nearly 400 inscriptions have also been discovered. Excavation has revealed a long history of pre-Roman settlement.

Aeclanum became the chief town of the Hirpini, after Beneventum had become a Roman colony. Sulla captured it in 89 BC by setting on fire the wooden breastwork by which it was defended, and sacked it. It quickly recovered, new fortifications were erected, and it became a municipium. Hadrian, who repaired the Via Appia from Beneventum to this point, made it a colonia. With the Lombard invasion of Italy it was annexed to the Duchy of Benevento, but was captured and destroyed by Byzantine Empire under Constans II in 663 and never recovered, being reduced to a small hamlet known as Quintodecimo, a name that referred to its distance of 15 miles from Benevento.