Caecubum

Caecuban wine (Latin: Caecubum, Greek: Kaikoubos) came from a small territory, ager Caecubus, at Amyclae in coastal Latium. (In the modern day area known as the Pontine Marshes). Varro, around 70 BC, already regarded this district as a place of legendary wealth. Strabo detailed the area's reputation for wine as he described the location "The Caecuban Plain borders on the Gulf of Caietas; and next to the plain comes Fundi, situated on the Appian Way. All these places produce exceedingly good wine; indeed, the Caecuban and the Fundanian and the Setinian belong to the class of wines that are widely famed, as is the case with the Falernian and the Alban and the Statanian.” (Geography V.3.6)

To many in the 1st century BC, Caecuban was the best of all wines, smoother than Falernian wine, fuller than Alban wine, strong and intoxicating. It was a white wine which turned fire-coloured as it aged. Dioscorides describes it as glykys "sweet". Athenaeus describes it as overpowering and strong, maturing only after many years time (Deipnosophistae, I.27a).

As a testament to its popularity, Caecuban wine makes several appearances in the odes of Horace. In Ode 1.20, Horace gives Caecuban a greater stature than Falernian as he invites his prominent friend, Maecenas to drink with him.

Horace mentions Caecuban often in connection with celebrating particularly momentous occasions, such as Octavian’s defeat of Antony and Cleopatra.(Odes 1.37.5) and in Ode IX where he speaks again to Maecenas,

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