Tusculum

Tusculum, anciently a city of Latium, about 15 miles S. of Rome, was situated on a ridge of hills known as the Colles Tusculani, and forming part of the Alban range. Octavius Mamilius, ruler of Tusculum, married a daughter of Tarquinius Superbus, and played a conspicuous part in the last of the great struggles made by the banished tyrant to regain his kingdom. But the Latins were so thoroughly beaten at Lake Regillus (496 B.C.) that they were fain to enter into an alliance with the victor, and ever after, except in the Great Latin War (340-338 B.C.), remained steady in their fidelity to Rome. As early as 378 B.C. the inhabitants of Tusculum received the Roman franchise. Towards the close of the Republic Tusculum became a favourite country residence of the wealthy Romans; Lucullus, Cato, Brutus, Hortensius, Crassus, Cæsar, and Cicero had villas here; and here the great orator composed his Tusculane Disputations. In 1191 Tusculum was stormed by the Romans and ruined for ever; lower down arose the town of Frascati (q.v.). The amphitheatre, theatre, and city walls of ancient Tusculum remain.