much interest. Unfortunately most of the names contained in it are otherwise wholly unknown, and the geographical data are not sufficiently precise to enable us to fix their position with any certainty. The researches of recent travellers have, however, of late years given increased interest to the passage in question, by establishing the fact that the neighbourhood of Reate, and especially the valley of the Salto, a district commonly called the Ciolano, abound with vestiges of ancient cities which, from the polygonal, or so-called Cyclopean style of their construction, have been referred to a very early period of antiquity. Many attempts have been consequently made to identify these sites with the cities mentioned by Varro; but hitherto with little success. The most recent investigations of this subject are those by Martelli (an Italian antiquarian whose local knowledge gives weight to his opinions) in his Storia dei Siculi (Aquila, 1830, 8vo.), and by Bunsen (Antichi Stabilimenti Italici, in the Annali dell Istituto di Corrispondenza Archeologica vol. vi. p. 100, seq.). But the complete diversity of their results proves how little certainty is to be attained. In the following enumeration of them, we can only attempt to give the description of the localities according to Varro, and to notice briefly their supposed identifications. 1. Palatium, from which the city on the Palatine hill at Borne was supposed to have derived its name (Varr. de L.L. v. § 53; Solin. I. § 14), is placed by Varro at 25 stadia from Reate; and would appear to have been still inhabited in his time. (See Bunsen, p. 129, whose suggestion of πόλις οίκουμένη for πόλεως οίκουμένης is certainly very plausible.) Ruins of it are said to exist at a place stall called Pallanti, near Torricella, to the right of the Via Salaria, at about the given distance from Reate. (Martelli, p. 195.) Gell, on the other hand, places it near the convent of La Foresta, to the N. of Rieti, where remains of a polygonal character are also found. Bunsen concurs in placing it in this direction, but without fixing the site. 2. Tribula (Τρίβολα), about 60 stadia from Beate; placed by Bunsen at Santa Felice, below the modern town of Cantalice whose polygonal walls were discovered by Dodwell. Martelli appears to confound it with Tribula Mutusca, from which it is probably distinct. 3. Suesbula, or Vesbula (the MSS. of Dionysius vary between Συεσβόλα and Ούεσβόλα), at the same distance (60 stadia) from Tribula, near the Cersunian Mountains. These are otherwise unknown, but supposed by Bunsen to be the Monti di Leonessa, and that Suesbula was near the site of the little city of Leonessa from which they derive their name. 4. Suna (Σούνη), distant 40 stadia from Suesbola, with a very ancient temple of Mars: 5. Mephlya (Μηφύλα), about 30 stadia from Suna, of which some rains and traces of walls were still visible in the time of Varro: and 6. Orvinium (Όρουίνιον), 40 stadia from Mephyla, the ruins of which, as well as its ancient sepulchres, attested its former magnitude; — are all wholly unknown, but are probably to be sought between the Monti di Leonessa and the valley of the Velino. Martelli, however, transfers this whole group of cities (including Tribula and Suesbula), which are placed by Bunsen to the N. of Rieti to the vallies of the Turano and Salto S. of that city. |
7. Corsula (Κορσούλα) a city destroyed shortly before the time of Varro, is placed by him at 80 stadia from Reate, along the Via Curia, at the foot of Mt. Coretum. This road is otherwise unknown*, but was probably that which led from Reate towards Terni (Interamna), and if so, Corsula must have been on the left bank of the Velinus, but its site is unknown. In the same direction were: 8. Issa, a town situated on an island in a lake, probably the same now called the Lago del Pie di Lugo: and 9. Marruvium (Μαρούίον), situated at the extremity of the same lake. Near this were the Septem Aquae, the position of which in this fertile valley between Reate and Interamna is confirmed by their mention in Cicero (ad Att. iv. 15). 10. Returning again to Reate, and proceeding along the valley of the Salto towards the Lake Fucinus (Dionysius has τήν έπί Λατίνην όδόν είσιούσιν, for which Bunsen would read τήν έπί λίμνην: but in any case it seems probable that this is the direction meant), Varro mentions first Batia or Vatia (Βατία), of which no trace is to be found: then comes 11. Tiora, surnamed Matiene (DRGR Greek|Τώρα}}, ή καλουμένη Ματιήνη), where there was a very ancient oracle of Mars, the responses of which were delivered by a woodpecker. This is placed, according to Varro, at 300 stadia from Reate, a distance which so much exceeds all the others, that it has been supposed to be corrupt; but it coincides well with the actual distance (36 miles) from Rieti to a spot named Castore, near Sta. Anatolia in the upper valley of the Salto which was undoubtedly the site of an ancient city, and presents extensive remains of walls of polygonal construction. (Bunsen, p. 1 1 5 ; Abeken, Mittelitialien. p. 87.) We learn also finom early Martyrologies, that Sta. Anatolia, who has given name to the modern village, was put to death "in civitate Thora, apud lacum Velinum." (Clnver. Ital. p. 684.) Hence it seems probable that the name of Castore is a corruption of Cas-Tora (Castellum Torae), and that the ruins viable there are really those of Tiora. 12. Lista (DGRG Greek|Λίότα}}), called by Varro the metropolis of the Aborigines, is placed by him, according to our present text of Dionysius, at 24 stadia from Tiora; but there seem strong reasons for supposing that this is a mistake, and that Lists was really situated in the immediate neighborhood of Reate. [Lista.] 13. The last city assigned by Varro to the Aborigines is Cotylia, or Cutilia (Κοτύλια), celebrated for its lake, concerning the site of which (between Civita Ducale and Antrodoao) then exists no doubt [Cutilia.] Among the cities of Latium itself, Dionysius (i. 44, ii. 35) expressly assigns to the Aborigines the foundation of Antemnae, Caenina, Fibulnea Tellenae, and Tibur: some of which were wrested
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