Setia
- an ancient mountain-city in Latium, near the Pomptine Marshes, celebrated for its excellent wine, now Sezza, Liv. 6, 30 fin.; 7, 42 fin.; 26, 8 fin.; 32, 26; Mart. 13, 23; 13, 112; Sil. 8, 378. —Poet., for the wine produced there, Setian wine, Stat. S. 2, 6, 90.
- —Hence, Sētīnus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Setia, Setian: ager, Titin. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 11, 457; Cic. Agr. 2, 25, 66; Liv. 32, 26, 7: colonia, i. e. Setia, Vell. 1, 14, 2: trientes, Mart. 14, 103, 1: vinum, Plin. 14, 6, 8, § 61; 23, 1, 21, § 36; Mart. 6, 86, 1; cf.: de montibus, from the Setian vine-hills, id. 5, 34: uva clivi Setini, id. 10, 74, 11.—As substt.
- a Sētīni, ōrum, m., the inhabitants of Setia, the Setians, Liv. 8, 1; 32, 26.—
- b Sētīna, ae, f., The Setiness, the title of a comedy of Titinius (v. Com. Rel. p. 148 sq. Rib.).—
- c Sē-tīnum, i, n., the wine of Setia, Juv. 10, 2, 7; Mart. 6, 86, 1.
SE´TIA(Σητία: Eth. Setinus: Sezze), an ancient city of Latium, situated on the S. slope of the Volscian mountains, between Norba and Privernum, looking over the Pontine Marshes. It is probable that it was originally a Latin city, as its name is found in the list given by Dionysius of the thirty cities of the Latin League. (Dionys. 5.61.) But it must have fallen into the hands of the Volscians, at the time their power was at its height. No mention of it is, however, found during the wars of the Romans with that people until after the Gaulish invasion, when a Roman colony was established there in B.C. 392, and recruited with an additional body of colonists a few years afterwards. (Vellei. 1.14; Liv. 6.30.) At this time Setia must have been the most advanced point of the Roman dominion in this direction, and immediately adjoined the territory of the Privernates, who were still an independent and powerful people. [PRIVERNUM] This exposed the new colonists to the incursions of that people, who, in B.C. 342, laid waste their territory, as well as that of Norba. (Liv. 7.42, 8.1.) The Privernates were, however, severely punished for this aggression, and from this time the Setini seem to have enjoyed tranquillity. But it is remarkable that a few years later L. Annius of Setia appears as one of the leaders of the Latins in their great war against Rome, B.C. 340. (Liv. 8.3.) Setia was a Colonia Latina, and was one of those which, during the pressure of the Second Punic War (B.C. 209), declared its inability to furnish any further supplies either of men or money. (Liv. 27.9.) It was, at a later period of the war, severely punished for this by the imposition of much heavier contributions. (Id. 29.15.) From its strong and somewhat secluded position, Setia was selected as the place where the Carthaginian hostages, given at the close of the war, were detained in custody, and in B.C. 198 became in consequence the scene of a very dangerous conspiracy among the slaves of that and the adjoining districts, which was suppressed by the energy of the praetor L. Cornelius Merula. (Id. 32.26.) From this time we hear no more of Setia till the Civil Wars of Marius and Sulla, when it was taken by the latter after a regular siege, B.C. 82. (Appian, App. BC 1.87.) It appears therefore to have been at this period a strong fortress, an advantage which it owed to its position on a hill as well as to its fortifications, the remains of which are still visible. Under the Empire Setia seems to have continued to be a flourishing municipal town, but was chiefly celebrated for its wine, which in the days of Martial and Juvenal seems to have been esteemed one of the choicest and most valuable kinds: according to Pliny it was Augustus who first brought it into vogue. (Plin. Nat. 14.6. s. 8; Martial (Mart. 10.36. 6, 13.112; Juven. 10.27; Strab. v. pp. 234, 237; Sil. Ital..) We learn from the Liber Coloniarum that Setia received a colony under the Triumvirate; and it is probable that it subsequently bore the title of a Colonia, though it is not mentioned as such by Pliny. (Plin. Nat. 3.5. s. 9; Lib. Colon. p. 237; Orell. Inscr. 2246; Zumpt, de Colon. p. 338.)
The position of Setia on a lofty hill, looking down upon the Pontine Marshes and the Appian Way, is alluded to by several writers (Strab. 5. p. 237; Martial (Mart. 10.74. 11, 13.112), among others in a fragment of Lucilius ( ap. A. Gell. 16.9), in whose time it is probable that the highroad, of the extreme hilliness of which he complains, passed by Setia itself. It was, however, about 5 miles distant from the Appian Way, on the left hand. There can be no doubt that the modern town of Sezzeoccupies the same site with the ancient one, as extensive remains of its walls are still visible. They are constructed of large polygonal or rudely squared blocks of limestone, in the same style as those of Norba and Cora. The substructions of several edifices (probably temples) of a similar style of construction, also remain, as well as sole inconsiderable ruins of an amphitheatre. (Westphal, Rom. Kamp. p. 53; Dodwell's Pelasgic Remains, pp. 115--120.)
[E.H.B]SE´TIA(Σέτια, Ptol. 2.4.9).
1.A town of the Turduli in Hispania Baetica, between the Baetis and Mount Ilipula.
2.A town of the Vascones in Hispania Tarraconensis. (Ptol. 2.6.67.) [T.H.D]
Now Sezza or Sesse; an ancient town of Latium in the east of the Pomtine Marshes. It was celebrated for the excellent wine grown in its neighbourhood, which was reckoned in the time of Augustus the finest wine in Italy (Mart.x. 36; Juv.x. 27), and was called vinum Setinum. See vinum.
Founded, according to legend, by Herakles, the first historical mention of this city in Volscian territory comes from Velleius Paterculus (1.14) and dates to 382 B.C., the date of the settlement of the first Roman colony on the site. Earlier, the territory had probably been seized and controlled by the Volscians (cf. Dion. Hal. 6.61). Setia was attacked in 379 B.C. by its warlike neighbor Privernum and received help from Rome. Yet in 340, Setia participated along with all the Latin cities in the League in opposing Rome (Livy 27.9.7; 29.15.2). During the second Punic war, although not siding with the Carthaginians, Setia refused to help the Romans and for that was severely punished. After the war, the Carthaginian hostages were kept under guard in the city because of its particularly defensible position on the ridge of the Lepini mountains (Livy 32.36.5). The slave revolt of 198 B.C. against Rome had its beginning at Setia (Livy 32.26.9). During the struggle between Marius and Sulla, Setia openly sided with Marius and was devastated by the victorious Sulla (App. BCiv. 87; Plut. Caes. 58). In the Liber coloniarum Setia is included among the cities in which the triumvirs, Antonius, Crassus, and Lepidus, in 43 B.C., established a second Roman colony. That notice, which would appear to be confirmed by an inscription found at Setia, is directly contradicted by Pliny (HN 3.5.64), who places the city among the municipia and not among the colonies.
Numerous traces of the city's polygonal walls (chiefly in the third and fourth style) are still preserved, and they are sufficient to give an idea of the exact perimeter of the walls. One of the postern gates, with a monolithic architrave, is perfectly preserved.
Near the church of San Lorenzo was found a fragment of a Doric frieze with metopes decorated with alternating vine leaves and rosettes. Perhaps it comes from the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, an inscription from which has been found not far away (CIL X, 6463).
Along the modern street that proceeds from the plain into the city is an imposing foundation in opus quadratum generally called, but without real reason, the Temple of Saturn. The base is most likely a part of the fortification works at the entrance to the city.
Near the ponte della valle was found a bronze votive tablet dedicated to Mercury and Augustus by the Sexviri Augustales and by a Sexvir Augustalis named Lucius Sotericus Theossenus, with a funerary inscription (CIL X, 6461, 6469). In all likelihood, a temple to Augustus was built not far from that spot.
On the street that leads to the Porta Romana are a few remains of what might possibly be an amphitheater. Near the monastery of the Bambin Gesù were once visible the remains possibly of a basilica; today the only record of it is an inscription (CIL X, 6462). Imposing ruins of Roman country villas are scattered in numerous areas of the surrounding countryside.
The discovery of funerary inscriptions in specific areas has caused speculation that necropoleis may exist there but systematic investigations have not yet been carried out. The areas include Piagge Marine, I Colli, Madonna della Pace and an area near Sezze Scalo.
In the past few years an Antiquarium has been established to house geological, prehistoric (rock paintings have been discovered in the mountain caves around Sezze), and archaeological materials. Among the more valuable finds in the Antiquarium is a bronze statuette of Mars, coming from Archi di San Lidano, and a piece of mosaic pavement with polychrome tessera.
BIBLIOGRAPHYF. Lombardini, Della istoria di Sezze (1876); V. Tufo, Storia antica di Sezze (1908); H. H. Armstrong, “Topographical Studies at Setia,” AJA 19 (1915) 42ff; L. Zaccheo & F. Pasquali, Guida all' Antiquario ed ai maggiori monumenti di Sezze (1970); id., Sezze, dalla preistoria all'eta romana (1972).
B. CONTICELLO