COMUM (Como), a flourishing city of Transpadane Gaul, at the extreme southern extremity of the Lacus Larins, and at the foot of the Rhætian Alps. Comum was founded by the Gauls, and was considered as lying within the territory of the Galli Insubres, though Pliny mentions that its foundation was in his day attributed to the Orobii, a tribe which long before that date had ceased to exist as a separate community. Though Comum seems to have been from a very early period a flourishing and important city, it has never at any time played a very conspicuous part in history. Soon after the beginning of the second century B.C., the people of Comum joined the Insubres in an attack on the Romans; but they were defeated, and their city fell into the hands of the conquerors. Comum now became a Roman colony. The first colonists who settled there, however, were unable to maintain themselves against the inroads of the Rhætian Gauls. Additional settlers were therefore sent down from time to time. Julius Caesar in particular sent down 5000, of whom a tenth were Greeks. The colony now assumed the name of Novum Comum, which, however, it only retained for a short time. On the accession of Julius Caesar to supreme power, Comum obtained the complete right of citizenship; yet though it was at this time at the height of its prosperity, it never took rank higher than a municipal town. The elder and the younger Pliny are believed to have been both natives of Comum or its neigh-
Comus
Conca.
bourhood; and the younger Pliny had several villas on the banks of the Larian lake. His efforts to make the town an independent seat of learning do not appear to have been peculiarly successful. No interesting remains of the ancient Comum are now visible at Como, except a few inscriptions.
The modern Como is a handsome episcopal city, with a splendid marble cathedral begun in 1396. Its commerce is as flourishing as that of the ancient town used to be; and its commercial importance is greatly enhanced by the excellence of its roads and the easy navigation of the lake. Its manufactures consist chiefly of woollens, silks, cottons, soap, &c. Como was the birthplace of Pope Innocent XI. and the natural philosopher Volta. Pop. (including suburbs) about 20,000.