VENAFRUM  , an

ancient town of Campania, Italy, close to the boundaries of both Latium adjectum and Samnium . Its site is occupied by the modern Venafro, a village with 4716 inhabitants (1901), on the railway from Isernia to Caianello, 15 m . S.W.. of the former, 658 ft. above sea-level . Ancient authors tell us but little about it, except that it was one of those towns governed by a prefect sent yearly from Rome, and that in the Social War it was taken by the allies by treachery . Augustus founded a colony there and provided for the construction of an aqueduct (cf. the long decree relating to it in Corp . Insets Lat. x . No . 4842) . It seems to have been a place of some importance . Its olive oil was the best in Italy, and Cato mentions its brickworks and iron manufactures . The original line of the Via Latina probably ran through Venafrum, making a detour, which the later road seems to have avoided (cf . LATINA, VIA) .

Rufrae was probably dependent on it . Roads also ran from Venafrum to

Aesernia and to Telesia. by way of Allifae . Of ancient remains hardly anything is left—some traces of an amphitheatre and fragments of polygonal walls only . (T .