Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/222

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1S8 PLITq-y'S TTATUEAL HISTOEY. [Book III. people, Grravise?e Castrum novum^, Pyrgi^, the river Csere- tanus^, and Cjere^ itself, four miles inland, called Agylla by the Pelasgi who founded it, Alsium^, Fregenae'^, and the river Tiber, 284^ miles from the Macra. In the interior we have the colonies of Falisci^, founded by the Argives, according to the account of Cato^°, and sur- uamed Falisci Etruscorum, Lucus Feroniae", E-usellana, the Senienses^^, and Sutrina^^. The remaining peoples are the Ansedonia was said to have risen from its ruins, and in its turn fallen to decay. 1 Two localities have been mentioned as the site of Grraviscse, at both of which there are ancient remains : one on the right bank of the Marta, about a nule from its mouth, and the other on the sea-coast at a spot called Santo Clementino or Le Sahne, a mile south of the mouth of the Marta. Probably the latter are the remains of Graviscse, although Den- nis (Etruria, i. pp. 387-395) mchnes to be in favour of the former. 2 The modern Torre Chiaruccia, five miles south of Civita Vecchia. 3 The modern Torre di Santa Severa. ^ Now the Vaccina.

  • The remains of this once powerful city are marked by the village of

Cervetri or Old Caere. According to Strabo it received "its name from the Greek word x<^~^P^ "had!" with which the inhabitants saluted the Tp'rhenian or Lychan invaders. It was to this place that the Romans sent their most precious sacred relics when then- city was taken by the G-auls. Its most interesting remains are the sepulchres, of which an ac- coimt is given in Dennis's Etruria. ^ Its remains are to be seen in the vicinity of the modem village of Palo. 7 Its site is supposed to have been at the spot now called the Ton*e di Maccarese, midway between Palo and Porto, and at the mouth of the river Arone. Its situation was marshy and imhealthy. s This exceeds the real distance, which is about 230 miles. 9 The site of the Etruscan Falerii or Fahsci is probably occupied by the present Civita Castellana ; while that of the Roman city of the same name, at a chstance of four mdes, is marked by a single house and the ruins of a church, called Santa Maria di Palleri. The ancient city was cap- tured by the Romans imder Camillus, 1" In his book of " Origines," which is now lost, 1^ "The Grove of Feronia." The town was so called from the grove of that Sabine goddess there situate. In the early times of Rome there' was a great resort to tliis spot not only for religious pm'poses, but for those of trade as well. Its traces are stiU to be seen at the village of Saint Orestes, near the south-east extremity of the hiU there, which is still called Felonica. Tliis is in southern Etruria, but Ptolemy mentions another place of the same name in the north-west extremity of Etrui'ia, between the Arnus and the Macra. ^2 Tlie people of the spot now called Siena, in Tuscany. ^3 Now Sutri, on the river Pozollo.