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PATAVIUM (mod. Padova, Eng. Padua, q.v.)

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Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 902 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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PATAVIUM (mod. Padova, Eng. See also:Padua, q.v.)  , an See also:ancient See also:city of See also:Venetia, See also:Italy, S5 M . E. of See also:Verona by road . Its central position gave it See also:great importance . One road led from it See also:south-See also:west to See also:Ateste, Hostilia (where the Po was crossed) and See also:Bononia; another See also:east-See also:north-east to See also:Altinum and See also:Concordia . It was accessible by canals from the See also:sea, a distance of about 30 M . The old See also:town (40 ft. above sea-level) See also:lay and lies on a See also:peninsula surrounded by the Bacchiglione except on the south, where it was protected by a See also:canal . Of the See also:bridges which See also:cross the canals by which See also:Padua is now intersected, four go back to See also:Roman times . Remains of a public See also:building, possibly belonging to the See also:forum, were found in the centre of the See also:modern city in making the See also:foundations of the Caffe Pedrocchi at the south-west See also:angle of Piazza See also:Cavour—possibly a See also:colonnade of See also:fine Corinthian See also:architecture (see P . Selvatico, Relazione dello Scavo . . . su la Piazzetta Pedrocchi . A large See also:mosaic with geometric designs was also recently discovered in the centre of the city . In imperial times the town spread even farther, as is shown by the position outside the town of the See also:amphitheatre, built of blocks of See also:local See also:stone with See also:brick courses, which was excavated in 1881 (G .

Ghirardini in Notizie degli Scavi, 1881, 225) . It See also:

measures 325 by 205 ft., and is the only Roman building of which visible remains exist . A so-called " paletta " (a See also:bronze See also:plate with a handle—possibly a See also:bell or a votive See also:axe or a See also:simple See also:pendant) with a figure of a See also:horse on one See also:side and a votive inscription on the other, belonging to the sth or 4th See also:century B.C., was found in 1899 at a great See also:depth See also:close to the See also:church of S . See also:Antonio (G . Ghirardini in Notizie degli Scavi, 1901, 314) . The name of the town is probably connected with Padua (Pa) . According to the See also:legend it was founded by the Trojan See also:Antenor . The memory of the defeat of the Spartan See also:king Cleonymus by the See also:fleet of See also:Patavium in 302 B.C. was perpetuated by Spartan spoils in the See also:temple of See also:Juno and a yearly sea-fight which took See also:place on the See also:river . On See also:land Patavium was equally powerful (it had been able, we are told, to put 120,000 men into the See also:field), and perpetually made See also:war against its See also:Celtic neighbours . Patavium acquired Roman citizenship with the See also:rest of Gallia Transpadana in 49 B.C . Under See also:Augustus, See also:Strabo tells us, Patavium surpassed all the cities of the north in See also:wealth, and in the number of Roman knights among its citizens in the See also:census of Augustus was only equalled by Gades, which had also Soo . Its commercial importance was also great, being especially due to its See also:trade in See also:wool .

The numerous See also:

inscriptions, however, as Th . See also:Mommsen remarks (Corp. inscr. latin. v . 268), show remarkable dignity and simplicity and avoidance of pomposity; to this See also:Pliny the younger and See also:Martial testify . The importance of Patavium as a See also:literary centre was also considerable . See also:Livy, Q . Asconius Pedianus and Thrasea Paetus were natives of the town; and See also:Quintilian speaks of the directness and simplicity of their diction as Patavinitas, comparing it with the artificial obscurity of the writers of See also:Rome itself . After the 2nd century A.D. it is hardly mentioned, and seems to have been outstripped by other cities, such as See also:Milan and See also:Aquileia . It was destroyed by the See also:Lombards with See also:fire and See also:sword, and it was then that it lost practically all its monuments of the Roman See also:period . (T .

End of Article: PATAVIUM (mod. Padova, Eng. Padua, q.v.)
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