Editing Capua (section)

==History==

===Ancient era===
The name of Capua comes from the [[Etruscan language|Etruscan]] ''Capeva''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CRgiAAAAMAAJ&q=+capeva++ |title=The Etruscans - Michael Grant - Google Books |date= January 1980|access-date=26 March 2013|isbn=9780684167244 |last1=Grant |first1=Michael |publisher=Scribner }}</ref> The meaning is 'City of Marshes'. Its foundation is attributed by [[Cato the Elder]] to the [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscans]], and the date given as about 260 years before it was "taken" by [[Rome]]. If this is true it refers not to its capture in the [[Second Punic War]] (211 BC), but to its submission to Rome in 338 BC. This places the date of foundation at about 600 BC, while Etruscan power was at its highest.{{sfn|Ashby|1911a|p=294}} In the area, several settlements of the [[Villanovian civilization]] were present in prehistoric times. These were probably enlarged by the [[Oscan]]s, and subsequently by the Etruscans.

Etruscan supremacy in Campania came to an end with the [[Samnium|Samnite]] invasion, in the latter half of the 5th century BC.{{sfn|Ashby|1911a|p=294}}

In about 424 BC Capua was captured by the Samnites, and in 343 BC sought Roman help against its conquerors. They allied for protection against the Samnite mountain tribes, along with its dependent communities [[Casilinum]], [[Calatia]], [[Atella]], so that the greater part of Campania now fell under Roman supremacy. The citizens of Capua received the {{lang|la|[[civitas sine suffragio]]}}{{sfn|Ashby|1911a|p=294}} (citizenship without the vote).

In the second [[Samnite War]] with Rome, Capua proved an untrustworthy Roman ally, so that after the defeat of the Samnites, the Ager Falernus on the right bank of the [[Volturno|Volturnus]] was confiscated. In 318 BC the powers of the native officials ({{lang|la|meddices}}) were limited by the appointment of officials with the title ''praefecti Capuam Cumas'' (taking their name from the most important towns of Campania); these were at first mere deputies of the ''praetor urbanus'', but after 123 BC were elected Roman magistrates, four in number; they governed the whole of Campania until the time of Augustus, when they were abolished.{{sfn|Ashby|1911a|p=294}} It was the capital of ''[[Ancient Campania|Campania Felix]]''.

In 312 BC, Capua was connected with Rome by the construction of the ''[[Appian Way|Via Appia]]'', the most important of the military highways of Italy. The gate by which it left the [[Servian walls]] of Rome bore the name ''[[Porta Capena]]''; perhaps the only case in which a gate in this line of fortifications bears the name of the place to which it led. At some time the ''[[Via Latina]]'' was extended to Casilinum. It afforded a route only {{convert|10|km|mi|abbr=on}} longer, and the difficulties with its construction were much less; it also avoided the troublesome journey through the [[Pontine Marshes]].{{sfn|Ashby|1911a|p=294}}

The importance of Capua increased steadily during the 3rd century BC, and at the beginning of the [[Second Punic War]] it was considered to be only slightly behind Rome and [[Carthage]] themselves, and was able to furnish 30,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry. Until after the defeat of [[Battle of Cannae|Cannae]] it remained faithful to Rome, but, after an unsuccessful demand that one of the consuls should always be selected from it (or perhaps in order to secure regional supremacy in the event of a Carthaginian victory), it defected to [[Hannibal]].{{sfn|Ashby|1911a|p=294}} He made it his winter quarters, and he and his army were voluntarily received by Capua. [[Livy]] and others have suggested that the luxurious conditions were Hannibal's "Cannae" because his troops became soft and demoralized by luxurious living. Historians from [[Reginald Bosworth Smith]] onwards have been skeptical of this, observing that his troops gave as good an account of themselves in battle after that winter as before.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}} After a long siege, Capua was taken by the Romans in 211 BC and severely punished in the [[Second Battle of Capua]]; its magistrates and communal organization were abolished, the inhabitants who weren't killed lost their civic rights, and its territory was declared {{lang|la|ager publicus}} (Roman state domain). Parts of it were sold in 205 BC and 199 BC, another part was divided among the citizens of the new colonies of [[Volturnum]] and [[Liternum]], established near the coast in 194 BC, but the greater portion of it was reserved to be let by the state.{{sfn|Ashby|1911a|p=294}}

Considerable difficulties occurred in preventing illegal encroachments by private persons, and it became necessary to buy a number of them out in 162 BC. It was, after that period, let, not to large but to small proprietors. Frequent attempts were made by the democratic leaders to divide the land among new settlers. [[Marcus Junius Brutus (tribune 83 BC)|M. Junius Brutus the Elder]] in 83 BC actually succeeded in establishing a colony, but it was soon dissolved; and [[Cicero]]'s speeches ''De Lege Agrania'' were directed against a similar attempt by [[Servilius Rullus]] in 63 BC.{{sfn|Ashby|1911a|p=294}}

In the meantime the necessary organization of the inhabitants of this thickly populated district was in a measure supplied by grouping them round important shrines. Many inscriptions testify to a {{lang|la|pagus Dianae}} associated with the shrine to [[Diana (goddess)|Diana Tifatina]]; a {{lang|la|pagus Herculaneus}} is also known.{{sfn|Ashby|1911a|p=294}}

The town of Capua belonged to none of these organizations, and was entirely dependent on the {{lang|la|praefecti}}. It enjoyed great prosperity, however, due to their growing of [[spelt]], a grain that was put into [[groats]], wine, roses, spices, [[unguent]]s etc., and also owing to its manufacture, especially of bronze objects, of which both [[Cato the Elder|the elder Cato]] and [[Pliny the Elder|the elder Pliny]] speak in the highest terms.{{sfn|Ashby|1911a|p=294}}

Its luxury remained proverbial, and Campania was especially spoken of as the home of [[gladiator]]ial combat. From the gladiatorial schools of Campania came [[Spartacus]] and his followers in 73 BC. [[Julius Caesar]] as [[consul]] in 59 BC succeeded in carrying out the establishment of a Roman colony under the name '''Julia Felix''' in connection with his agrarian law, and 20,000 Roman citizens were settled in this territory.{{sfn|Ashby|1911a|pp=294–295}}

The number of colonists was increased by [[Mark Antony]], [[Augustus]] (who constructed an [[Roman aqueduct|aqueduct]] from the ''Mons Tifata'' and gave the town of Capua estates in the district of [[Knossos]] in [[Crete]] valued at 12 million [[sestertius|sesterces]]) and [[Nero]].{{sfn|Ashby|1911a|p=295}}

In the [[Year of the Four Emperors|war of 69 AD]] Capua took the side of [[Vitellius]]. Under the later [[Roman Empire|empire]] it is not often mentioned, but in the 4th century it was the seat of the ''consularis [[Campania (Roman province)|Campaniae]]'' and its chief town, though [[Ausonius]] put it behind Mediolanum ([[Milan]]) and [[Aquileia]] in his ''[[Ordo urbium nobilium|ordo nobilium urbium]]''.{{sfn|Ashby|1911a|p=295}}

===Middle Ages===
{{see also|Principality of Capua}}
Under [[Constantine I|Constantine]], a Christian church was founded in Capua. In 456, it was taken and destroyed by the Vandals under [[Gaiseric]], but was likely soon rebuilt.

During the [[Gothic War (535–554)|Gothic War]], Capua suffered greatly. When the [[Lombards]] invaded [[Italy]] in the second half of the 6th century, Capua was ravaged; later, it was included in the [[Duchy of Benevento]], and ruled by an official styled [[gastald]].

In 839, the [[prince of Benevento]], [[Sicard of Benevento|Sicard]], was assassinated by [[Radelchis I of Benevento]], who took over the throne. Sicard's brother [[Siconulf]] was proclaimed independent [[prince of Salerno|prince in Salerno]] and the [[gastald of Capua]] declared himself independent.

In 840, ancient Capua was burned to the ground by a band of [[Saracens|Saracen mercenaries]] called by [[Radelchis I of Benevento]]<ref>Pieurre Riche, ''The Carolingians: A Family who forged Europe'', transl. Michael Idomir Allen, (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993), 181.</ref> with only the church of Santa Maria Maggiore (founded about 497) remaining (which was purposely spared by the invading Muslims, whose policy was that to leave houses of worship alone). A new city was built in 856, but at some distance from the former site,{{sfn|Ashby|1911b}} where another town later appeared under the name of [[Santa Maria Capua Vetere]] ("Capua the Old").

Prince [[Atenulf I of Capua|Atenulf I]] conquered Benevento in 900 and united the principalities until 981, when [[Pandulf Ironhead]] separated them in his will for his children. Capua eclipsed Benevento thereafter and became the chief rival of Salerno. Under [[Pandulf IV of Capua|Pandulf IV]], the principality brought in the aid of the [[Normans]] and, for a while had the loyalty of [[Rainulf Drengot]], until the latter abandoned him to aid the deposed [[Sergius IV of Naples]] take back his city, annexed by Pandulf in 1027.

Upon Pandulf's death, Capua fell to his weaker sons and, in 1058, the city itself fell in a siege to Rainulf's nephew [[Richard I of Capua|Richard I]], who took the title Prince of Aversa. For seven years (1091–1098), [[Richard II of Capua|Richard II]] was exiled from his city, but with the aid of his relatives, he retook the city after a [[siege of Capua|siege in 1098]]. His dynasty lived on as princes of Capua until the last claimant of their line died in 1156 and the principality was definitively united to the [[kingdom of Sicily]]. In the 1230s, King [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick I]] built the monumental [[City Gate of Capua]].

In the early 1500s, it was reported to [[Pope Alexander VI]] that his son, [[Cesare Borgia]], had captured the city and promptly killed all 6,000 citizens, which included women and children, while commanding French troops during the sieges of Naples and Capua.<ref>{{The Papacy and the Levant, 1204-1571|volume=2|page= 538}}</ref>

===Modern Age===
[[File:Map of Capua.tif|thumb|Map of Capua (around 1760)]]
On 3 January 1799, during the [[French Revolutionary Wars]], this community was successfully attacked by a French-controlled 1798–1799 [[Roman Republic (18th century)|Roman Republic]] Army led by Governor MacDonald.
 
The [[Battle of Volturnus (1860)]], at the conclusion of [[Garibaldi]]'s [[Expedition of the Thousand]], partially took place in and around Capua. Prior to the battle, the Neapolitan army, defeated in earlier engagements, was rebuilt in Capua under marshal [[Giosuè Ritucci]]. After fighting elsewhere in which the Neapolitans were ultimately defeated, the last of them—around 3,000 troops under Colonel Perrone—were holed up in Capua. The city was attacked by the Garibaldines and one Piedmontese regular Bersaglieri battalion, and captured. In the referendum several months later, its inhabitants voted overwhelmingly to join the new [[Kingdom of Italy]].