Beneventum
A town on the Appian Way in the hills east of Capua, where Horace's host nearly burned down his kitchen.
Today: Benevento, Campania, Italy
A bad night at the inn on the road to Brundisium
Horace, Satires, book 1, satire 5 (the journey to Brundisium, probably 37 BCE), in the school edition of Arthur Palmer (Macmillan, 1905 printing) · journey probably in the spring of 37 BCE; written soon after
tendimus hinc recta Beneventum, ubi sedulus hospes paene macros arsit dum turdos versat in igni; nam vaga per veterem dilapso flamma culinam Volcano summum properabat lambere tectum. convivas avidos cenam servosque timentis tum rapere atque omnis restinguere velle videres.
From there we headed straight for Beneventum. There our eager host nearly went up in flames while he turned some skinny thrushes over the fire. The fire slipped out across the old kitchen, and its wandering flames raced up to lick the top of the roof. You should have seen the hungry guests and the frightened slaves grabbing the dinner, and everyone trying to put out the fire.