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

mentioned in the Tabula Peutingeriana204 This kind of monumental reorganisation
of a site on different levels has Hellenistic precedents, notably at Pergamum. Traces
of two temples were found at Colle della Torre (a few kilometres from modem
Schiavi d'Abruzzo), the older of which was probably built at the same time as the
development of the sacred area of Civitella of Campochiaro. It seems that the second
temple at Pietrabbondante, traditionally called Temple A, was built at this time, and
the older temple of Schiavi d'Abruzzo as well.
Similarities have been detected
between the capitals of these two temples. 205 The podium of a Samnite temple at
Quadri survives because the church of the Madonna dello Spineto was built on it in
medieval times. 206 The outer section of the podium is almost identical to that of the
older temple at Schiavi d'Abruzzo, which allows us to date the two temples to the
same period. The small temple of Macchia Valfortore can also be dated with some
certainty to the first half of the second century BC.
The building of these temples was probably provided for mainly by public
funds as the numerous inscriptions that mention Oscan officials and councils
confirm, but it is also likely that considerable financial aid came from wealthy locals.
Epigraphic evidence suggests that the Samnites took advantage of the business
opportunities opened up by the Roman conquest of the Mediterranean. Numerous
Oscan names, most assumed to be Campanians, but probably from the Pentri and
other Samnite peoples too, appear on the Greek mainland, the Cyclades and in Asia
Minor. 207 Spain, North Italy and Egypt also yield evidence for Saninite businessmen.
Probably some of this wealth was used to fund the building of sanctuaries in central
Italy.
204 On the identification of the sanctuary with that of Hercules Rani see La Regina (1989) 364-72.
205 La Regina (1976) 230.
206 Cianfarani, Franchi dell'Orto, La Regina (1978) 499.
207 Hatzfeld (1919) 17-30.
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