The beginnings of Telese are linked to the ancient Samnite town, Telesia, which was later conquered by Hannibal in 207 BC. The town became a Roman colony under Scipio and it was recognized as an ally of Rome. Some ruins of the old town of Telesia can still be seen in the territory of San Salvatore Telesino, a nearby village. After the Roman conquest, the town shifted into the hands of the Lombard part of the Duchy of Benevento. The town was destroyed in the years 847 and 860 by the Saracens, and again in the 11th century, during the war between Roger II of Sicily and the Norman counts of Southern Italy.
