In the
treaty signed between Carthage and Rome in 509 BC, the Carthaginians agreed not to harm Circeii. In 209 BC, during the
Second Punic War, Circeii was one of twelve
Latin colonies to refuse any more military contributions towards Rome and in 204 it was severely punished as a result, by furnishing double the greatest number of foot soldiers they had ever provided and 120 horsemen, all chosen from the wealthiest of the inhabitants, and to be sent out of Italy. Also an annual tax was imposed. The Roman
Triumvir Lepidus was exiled here after his fall in 36 BC by his former colleague, and future
Emperor,
Octavian. In September 1975 the so-called
Circeo massacre took place in San Felice Circeo, the rape of two young women, one of whom was also murdered, which received significant media attention in Italy. ==References==