CONSE´NTIA
CONSE´NTIA (
Κωνσεντία, Appian;
Κωσεντία, Strab.;
Κονσεντία, Ptol.: Eth.
Consentinus:
Cosenza), an inland city of Bruttium, situated on a hill rising above the valley of the Crathis, near the sources of that river. Strabo calls it the metropolis of the Bruttians (vi. p. 256); aid it appears to have been from an early period the most considerable town belonging to that people, as distinguished from the Greek cities on the coast.
It first appears in history during the expedition of Alexander, king of Epeirus, and Livy mentions it among the places taken by that monarch; but this seems to be a mistake, as it was still in the hands of the enemy at the time of his death, which took place near Pandosia, in the same part of Bruttium: after that event his mutilated remains were sent to Consentia, and interred there. (
Liv. 8.24.) During the Second Punic War, Consentia at first held aloof from the rest of the Bruttians, when they espoused the alliance of Hannibal; but it was soon after reduced by the Carthaginian general Himilco. (Id. 23.30.) Three years later (B.C. 213) the Consentini are mentioned as returning to the Roman alliance; but notwithstanding this statement, we find them again appearing among the cities hostile to Rome, and it was not till B.C. 204 that Consentia, together with Pandosia and Clampetia, was reduced or compelled to submit. (
Liv. 25.1,
28.11,
29.38,
30.19; Appian,
Annib. 56.) Appian calls it at this time a large city: it appears to have been less severely treated than most of the Bruttian towns, and continued to be a place of importance. Lucilius alludes to the Consentini as possessing superior refinement to the rest of the Bruttians, and more on a par with the Sicilians and Tarentines. (Lucil. ap. Cic.
de Fin. 1.3.)
It is mentioned as a town of importance during the war of Spartacus (
Oros. 5.24), and in B.C. 40 it was besieged for some time by Sextus Pompeius, but without success. (Appian,
App. BC 5.56,
58.) Under Augustus it received a body of colonists, and continued to enjoy municipal rights under the Roman empire, but did not rank as a colony. (
Plin. Nat. 3.5. s. 10;
Ptol. 3.1.74; Lib. Colon. p. 209.) Its territory was noted for its apple-trees, which bore fruit twice a year. (Varr.
R. R. 1.7.6.) Towards the close of the Roman empire, Consentia is again mentioned in history as the scene of the death of Alaric, who had made it his head-quarters, while planning a descent upon Sicily, a few, months only after the capture of Rome, A.D. 410.
He was buried in the bed of a little river or torrent, which falls into the Crathis, just below Consentia.
This is now called the
Busento: the ancient name is variously written Basentus, Basentius, and by Jornandes Basentinus. (Jornand.
R. Get. 30; P. Diac.
Hist. Miscell. xiii. p. 535.) Consentia continued to be a place of importance through the middle ages: and the modern city of
Cosenza is still the capital of the province of
Ca labria Citra.
Consentia stood on the line of the high road which led through Bruttium from Muranum, in Lucania, to Rhegium. The Itinerary places it 49 M.P. from Muranum, and 57 from Vibo Valentia: and these distances are confirmed by a remarkable inscription, found at
Polla (the ancient Forum Popillii), in which, as well as in the Tab. Pent., the name is written Cosentia. (
Itin. Ant. p. 110; Orell.
Inscr. 3308; Mommsen,
Inscr. Neap. 6276.)
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