Submitted for award of PhD September 2006. - King's College London

Larinum. 479 In ancient sources, the Calavii appear at two crucial points in Roman
history: in the Sainnite Wars after the Caudine Forks and in the Second Punic war.
Ofillius Calavius is the only member of the gens painted in a favourable light by
Roman historiography. Following the disaster of the Caudine Forks, Livy mentions
that the returning Roman army was welcomed at Capua with pity, and that Ofillius
upheld the alliance with Rome. 480 The brothers Ovius and Nonius Calavius are
mentioned as plotters against Rome in 314 BC, who then commit suicide. 81
Pacavius Calavius, ineddix tuticus in 217 BC, had strong relations with Rome: his
wife was the daughter of an Appius Claudius and his daughter married M. Livius 482
Livy attributes to him the resolution of a political crisis at Capua in 216 BC, but he is
accused of taking a major role in the revolt of Capua from Rome after the battle of
Cannae. Finally Livy blames the Calavii for setting fire to the heart of Rome in 210
BC in retaliation for the abolition of the Capuan autonomy in the previous year. They
were denounced by a slave whom they had treated 'badly. 483 It is likely that the
episodes of the secret conspiracy in 314 BC and the fire at Rome were Roman
fabrications.
Two tufa slabs commemorate sacrifices in honour of three members of the
gens Tanterneia: Upilus, Vibius and Pacius. 484 The noinen gentilicium is probably
the Oscanized version of the Etruscan 'Tantlna', attested at Naples on Latin
inscriptions as 'Tantilius' 485 This is not the only gens in Capua supposed to have had
Etruscan origins. Apart from the Magii (see above), Buonamici argued that the gens
Annia to which the meddix tuticus Minius Annius belongs, originated from the
479 Pompeii: CIL X 1090, Puteoli: X 2202, Beneventum: CIL IX 1985 and Larinum: CIL IX 749,
480 Livy 9.7.2.
aal Livy 9.26.7.
4: 2 Livy 22.2.6.
483
Briquel (2001) 117-35.
484STCp31 and 32.
135