{"id":1090,"date":"2017-01-25T11:47:23","date_gmt":"2017-01-25T18:47:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roamintheempire.com\/?p=1090"},"modified":"2022-10-22T08:42:50","modified_gmt":"2022-10-22T15:42:50","slug":"nesactium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roamintheempire.com\/index.php\/2017\/01\/25\/nesactium\/","title":{"rendered":"Nesactium, Histria"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Bathing<\/a>
Bathing complex with northern basilica in the background.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most Recent Visit<\/strong>: July 2015<\/p>\n

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Quick Info:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Address:
\nLoc. Nezakcij, Frazione Valtura
\n52202, Li\u017enjan (Lisignano)<\/p>\n

Hours:
\n9:00-12:00, 16:00-20:00<\/p>\n

Admission: Free<\/p>\n

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The Roman settlement of Nesactium (Viza\u010de [Istrian], Nezakcij [Croatian]) is located on the site of a pre-Roman settlement of the Istri that shows evidence of occupation dating back to the 11th<\/sup> century BCE. Not much seems to be written about the Istri prior to the Roman contact. The Istrian peninsula was originally brought under Roman control in 220 BCE, but following the Second Punic War and the dissent sown by Hannibal\u2019s invasion of Italy, the Istri once again became troublesome. With more critical areas to bring back under control, the Istri were largely ignored by the Romans for a number of years following the Second Punic War. The founding of the colony of Aquilea in 181\/180 BCE seems to have agitated the Istri further and galvanized them into more frequent piracy and raids into Roman and Roman-allied territory. In 178 BCE, a campaign against the Istri was launched under the command of Aulus Manlius Vulso to mixed results. The next year, before his replacement, Gaius Claudius Pulcher, arrived to take over command, Vulso set out once again against the Istri. Soon after the campaign the Romans fought a decisive battle against a hastily raised Istrian army, killing 4,000 and dispersing the rest of the army. Many important Istrians, as well as their king, Epaulo, were held up at Nesactium, which was promptly besieged by Vulso. A few days later, Pulcher arrived to take command of the army with two new legions and set about a proper siege of the settlement, which included cutting off the water supply. This act, according to Livy, terrified the Istrians and drove them to kill the women and children on the walls of the settlement, in view of the Romans, and toss their bodies down. In the ensuing chaos, the Romans were able to enter the town, causing Epaulo to kill himself rather than being taken prisoner, and the rest of the inhabitants were killed or taken prisoner, and the town was destroyed. Following the fall of Nesactium, the towns of Mutila and Faveria were taken and destroyed, effectively ending Istrian resistance against the Romans.<\/p>\n

\"Tabernae<\/a>
Tabernae and capitolium.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The settlement was rebuilt with typical Roman features and retained importance in the region. By the Augustan era, Nesactium had been made a praefectura<\/em> of neighboring Pola, which had grown into a thriving port town. The settlement became an autonomous respublica Nesactiensium<\/em> with its own aediles<\/em> and duoviri<\/em> in the 3rd<\/sup> century CE, as per an inscription found at the site. Nesactium continued to be occupied until the 6th<\/sup>-7th<\/sup> century CE, when it was destroyed and abandoned during barbarian invasions.<\/p>\n

 
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