Tusculum , is an old city of the Latium, located at 6 km in the North-East of the current town of Frascati. The culminating point of the east city to 670 m above the sea level. The city enjoys from a very good point of view on the Campanie, with Rome extending to 25 km in the North-West.

According to the tradition, the city was founded by Télégone, the son of Ulysses and Circé. When the king Tarquin Superb the was expelled of Rome, its cause was supported by the leader of Tusculum, Octavius Mamilius, which took great part with the formation of the Latin Ligue, was composed of the thirty main cities of Latium linked against Rome. Mamilius ordered the Latin army with the battle of the Lake Regillus in 497 av. J. - C. but was killed. Thereafter, the prevalence of Rome on Latium was complete and Tusculum took the row of ally. In 381 av. J. - C., after having expressed its complete tender in Rome, Tusculum obtained the right to fill the same loads as the Roman citizens but not the right to vote and thus continued to hold the row of Municipe. However, Tusculum, according to other sources, was often in the camp of the enemies of Rome, lastly that of the Samnites in -323.

Some important families of Rome are originating in Tusculum inter alia, the people Mamilia, Fulvia, Fonteia, Juventia and Porcia from which Caton is resulting Old the.

The municipal council kept the name of senate but the title of dictator was replaced by that of municipal official. In spite of that and the establishment of a college of Roman knights in load of the worship of Tusculum and especially of the Dioscures, the Roman citizens residing was not numerous there or of distinction. The villas of the vicinity acquired more importance than the city itself which was less accessible. At the end of the Republic and even more under the empire, the territory of Tusculum was one of the favorite places of residence of the fortunate Romans.

The number and the extension of the vestiges defy almost description and can be made clear only on one chart. For the time of Cicéron, we know eighteen owners of villas. Most of the territory (including the villa of Cicéron), except the city which was too in altitude, was supplied with water by the Aqua Crabra . On the hill of Tusculum, the vestiges of a small theater remain (excavated in 1839). ----