Iguvium
Iguvium, known today as Gubbio, is an ancient settlement located in the Umbria region of central Italy, notable for its historical and archaeological significance. Established around the eleventh or tenth century BC, Iguvium became a federated community and later a municipium, despite experiencing a decline in prominence following the construction of the Via Flaminia, which bypassed it. The site is particularly renowned for the discovery of the Iguvine tablets in 1444, which are bronze inscriptions dating back to approximately 200–80 BC. These tablets, inscribed in both Latin and the Umbrian language, are critical for understanding ancient Italian religion and culture. They document the activities of the Atiedian Brethren, a priestly group, and detail various rituals, including references to three significant religious triads. The archaeological and linguistic findings from Iguvium continue to provide valuable insights into the historical context of ancient Italy, making it an essential subject of study for those interested in the region's heritage.
Subject Terms
Iguvium
(Gubbio)
A stronghold in Umbria (central Italy), occupying what Silius Italicus rightly described as a damp, misty and unhealthy site on the western slope of the Apennines. The latest researches have ascribed its foundation to the eleventh or tenth century BC. Iguvium issued its own coins after 300, but lost its importance when the Via Flaminia from Rome to the north (220) passed it by; nevertheless it achieved the status of a `federated’ community, and then of a municipium.
The place owes its importance to the discovery (in 1444) of the nine (now seven) bronze Iguvine tablets (c 200–80s BC), which are inscribed both in Latin and Umbrian—thus providing our major source of information for the latter language. These texts, which contribute uniquely to our knowledge of ancient Italian religion, record the proceedings of a priestly community, the Atiedian Brethren, and describe their rituals, indicating the names of three religious triads or trinities.