CHAP. 8.—THE SEVENTH REGION OF ITALY.
Next to this comes the seventh region, in which is Etruria,
a district which begins at the river Macra, and has often
changed its name. At an early period the Umbri were expelled from it
by the Pelasgi; and these again by the Lydians,
who from a king of theirs[1] were named Tyrrheni, but
afterwards, from the rites observed in their sacrifices, were called,
in the Greek language[2], Tusci. The first town in Etruria is
Luna[3], with a noble harbour, then the colony of Luca[4],
at some distance from the sea, and nearer to it again the
colony of Pisæ[5], between the rivers Auser[6] and
Arnus[7], which
owes its origin to Pelops and the Pisans[8], or else to the
Teutani, a people of Greece. Next is Vada[9] Volaterrana, then
the river Cecinna[10], and Populonium[11] formerly belonging
to the Etrurians, the only town they had on this coast.
Next to these is the river Prile[12], then the Umbro[13], which is
navigable, and where the district of Umbria begins, the port
of Telamon[14], Cosa[15] of the Volcientes, founded by the Roman
people, Graviscæ[16], Castrum novum[17], Pyrgi[18], the
river Cæretanus[19], and Cære[20] itself, four miles
inland, called Agylla by
the Pelasgi who founded it, Alsium[21], Fregenæ[22], and
the river
Tiber, 284[23] miles from the Macra.
In the interior we have the colonies of Falisci[24], founded by
the Argives, according to the account of Cato[25], and surnamed
Falisci Etruscorum, Lucus Feroniæ[26], Rusellana, the
Senienses[27], and Sutrina[28]. The remaining peoples are the
Arretini[29] Veteres, the Arretini Fidentes, the Arretini
Julienses, the Amitinenses, the Aquenses, surnamed Taurini[30], the Blerani[31], the Cortonenses[32], the Capenates[33], the
Clusini Novi, the Clusini Veteres[34], the Florentini[35], situate on
the stream of the Arnus, Fæsulæ[36], Ferentinum[37], Fescennia[38],
Hortanum[39], Herbanum[40], Nepeta[41], Novem Pagi[42], the Claudian præfecture of Foroclodium[43], Pistorium[44], Perusia[45], the
Suanenses, the Saturnini, formerly called the Aurinini, the
Subertani[46], the Statones[47], the Tarquinienses[48], the Tuscanienses[49], the Vetulonienses[50], the Veietani[51], the Vesentini[52],
the Volaterrani[53], the Voleentini[54], surnamed Etrusci, and
the Volsinienses[55]. In the same district the territories of
Crustumerium[56] and Caletra[57] retain the names of the ancient
towns.
1. For an account of this see Herodotus, B. i. c. 94, Tacitus, Ann. B. iv.
c. 55, and Velleius Paterculus, B. i. c. 1. These writers all agree as to the
fact of the migration of a colony of Lydians under the conduct of
Tyrrhenus to the part of Italy afterwards called Etruria. This
subject however, as well as the migrations of the Pelasgi, is
involved in the greatest obscurity.
2. From the Greek verb qu/ein "to sacrifice," he
implies:—from their
custom of frequently sacrificing, says Servius, on the Xth Book of
the Æneid. Dionysius of Halicarnassus says that they were from their
frequent sacrifices called quo/skooi. These are
probably fanciful derivations; but there is no doubt that the people
of Etruria were for several
centuries the instructors of the Romans in the arts of sacrifice, augury,
and divination.
3. The ruins of Luna, which was destroyed by the Normans in the
middle ages, are still visible on the banks of the Magra. The modern
name of the port is Golfo della Spezzia.
4. The modern city of Lucca has its site and name.—Livy, B. xli. c. 13,
informs us that this colony was founded in the year of the city 576, during
the Consulship of Claudius Pulcher and Sempronius Gracchus.
5. The modern city of Pisa. See Virgil, B. x. 1. 179, as to the origin
of this place.
6. The modern Serchio.
7. Now the Arno.
8. The people of Pisa or Pisæ, a city of Elis in the Peloponnesus.
9. Now Vadi, a small village on the sea-shore.
10. Still called the Cecina. It entered the Tyrrhenian sea, near the
port of Vada Volaterrana just mentioned.
11. The present Piombino is supposed to have arisen from the ruins of
this place.
12. Now the Bruno.
13. The modern Ombrone.
14. Now known as Telamone Vecchio.
15. There are ruins near lake Orbitello, which bear the name of Cosa:
Ansedonia was said to have risen from its ruins, and in its turn fallen to
decay.
16. Two localities have been mentioned as the site of Graviscæ, at both
of which there are ancient remains: one on the right bank of the Marta,
about a mile from its mouth, and the other on the sea-coast at a spot
called Santo Clementino or Le Saline, a mile south of the mouth of the
Marta. Probably the latter are the remains of Graviscæ, although
Dennis (Etruria, i. pp. 387–395) inclines to be in favour of the
former.
17. The modern Torre Chiaruccia, five miles south of Civita Vecchia.
18. The modern Torre di Santa Severa.
19. Now the Vaccina.
20. The remains of this once powerful city are marked by the village of
Cervetri or Old Cære. According to Strabo it received its name from
the Greek word xai=re "hail!" with which the inhabitants saluted the
Tyrrhenian or Lydian invaders. It was to this place that the Romans
sent their most precious sacred relics when their city was taken by the
Gauls. Its most interesting remains are the sepulchres, of which an
account is given in Dennis's Etruria.
21. Its remains are to be seen in the vicinity of the modern
village of Palo.
22. Its site is supposed to have been at the spot now called the Torre di
Maccarese, midway between Palo and Porto, and at the mouth of the
river Arone. Its situation was marshy and unhealthy.
23. This exceeds the real distance, which is about 230 miles.
24. The site of the Etruscan Falerii or Falisci is probably occupied by the
present Civita Castellana; while that of the Roman city of the same
name, at a distance of four miles, is marked by a single house and the ruins
of a church, called Santa Maria di Falleri. The ancient city was
captured by the Romans under Camillus.
25. In his book of "Origines," which is now lost.
26. "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 this spot not only for religious purposes, but for
those of trade as well. Its traces are still to be seen at the village of Saint
Orestes, near the south-east extremity of the hill there, which is still called
Felonica. This is in southern Etruria, but Ptolemy mentions another
place of the same name in the north-west extremity of Etruria, between
the Arnus and the Macra.
27. The people of the spot now called Siena, in Tuscany.
28. Now Sutri, on the river Pozollo.
29. The people of Arretium, one of the most powerful cities of Etruria.
The three tribes or peoples here mentioned probably did not occupy distinct towns, but constituted separate communities or municipal bodies,
being distinct colonies or bodies of settlers. The Julienses were the
colonists settled there by Augustus. The Fidentes had probably settled
at an earlier period. The modern Arezzo has risen on the remains of the
Roman city, while the remains of the Etruscan city are pointed out on
an elevated spot called Poggio di San Cornellio, two or three miles southeast of Arezzo. Many valuable relics of antiquity have been discovered
here. The family of Mæcenas sprang from this place.
30. The people of Aquæ Tauri, a watering-place of Etruria, situate about
three miles north of the present Civita Vecchia, and now called Bagni di
Ferrata. The baths are described by Rutilius in his Itinerary, who calls
them Tauri Thermæ (the Bull's Baths), and ascribes their name to the
fact of their having been accidentally discovered by a bull.
31. The people of Blera, on the site of the modern village of Bieda, about
twelve miles south of Viterbo. Numerous remains of Etruscan antiquity
have been found here.—See Dennis's Etruria, vol. i. pp. 260–272.
32. The people of Cortona, a powerful city of Etruria, which is still
known by the same name. It was probably in the number of the cities
of Etruria that were ravaged by Sylla, and then recolonized by him.
Numerous remains of Etruscan antiquity have been discovered there.
33. The people of Capena, an ancient and important city of Etruria,
which, after long opposing the inroads of the Romans, was reduced to
submission shortly after the fall of Veii, B.C. 393. It existed and held
municipal rank till the time of the Emperor Aurelian, after which all
traces of its name or existence were lost, till 1750, when Galetti fixed its
site with great accuracy at Civitucola or San Martino, about 24 miles
from Rome. It was situate on the banks of a small river now called the
Grammiccia, and in its territory was the celebrated 'Lucus Feroninæ' previously mentioned.
34. The new and old colonists of the city of Clusium, who probably enjoyed distinct municipal rights. The modern Chiusi stands on its site.
35. The modern Fiorenze or Florence occupies the site of their city.
36. The village of Fiesole stands on its site. Extensive remains of the
ancient city are still to be found.
37. The site of Ferentinum is now uninhabited, but is still known by the
name of Ferento. The rivers of the ancient city are very considerable;
it was finally destroyed by the people of Viterbo in the 12th century.
38. An ancient town of Etruria near Falisci. Cluver thinks that it was
situate at Gallese, a village nine miles north of Civita Castellana; but
Dennis considers its site to have been between Borghetto on the Tiber
and Corchiano, where there are considerable remains of an Etruscan city.
The spot is named San Silvestro, from a ruined church there.
39. Or Horta; the spot now called Orte, where numerous Etruscan remains are found; it probably derived its name from the Etruscan goddess Horta. Hortanum, the name given to it by Pliny, is perhaps an
adjective form of the name, "oppidun" being understood.
40. Possibly the same as 'Urbs Vetus,' on the side of which the present
Orvieto stands.
41. Now Nepi, near the river Pozzolo.
42. According to Hardouin the site of the Novem Pagi, or nine Boroughs,
is occupied by the modern Il Mignone, near Civita Vecchia.
43. Its site is generally supposed to have been at Oriuolo, about five miles
north of Bracciano; but Dennis informs us that there are no ancient
remains at that place. Being a præfecture it may have consisted of only
a number of little villages, united in one jurisdiction.
44. The modern Pistoia stands on its site.
45. Now Perugia.
46. Supposed by Hardouin to have inhabited the site of the modern
Sovretto.
47. Probably situate in the modern duchy of Castro.
48. The people of Tarquinii near Rome, the head of the Etruscan confederation. It was here that Demaratus the Corinthian, the father of
Tarquinius Priscus, settled. It was deserted by its inhabitants in the
eighth or ninth century, who founded the town of Corneto on a hill
opposite to it. The ruins are known as Turchina, a corruption of the
ancient name.
49. The site of their town is probably marked by the modern Toscanella.
50. The ruins of their town still retain somewhat of their ancient name
in that of "Vetulia."
51. The people of the powerful city of Veii, subdued by Camillus. Its
ruins have been discovered in the vicinity of the village of Isola Farnese.
52. Their town stood on the site of the present Bisontia.
53. The people of Volaterræ, the present Volterra, one of the twelve cities
of the Etruscan Confederation. It was for a time the residence of the
kings of Lombardy. The modern town covers only a small portion of
the area of the ancient city, of which there are some interesting remains.
54. The people of Volci or Vulci, of which the ruins bear the same name.
Its sepulchres have produced vast treasures of ancient art.
55. The people of Volsinii or Vulsinii, now called Bolsena. This was
one of the most ancient and powerful of the twelve cities of the Etruscan
confederation. On their subjugation by the Romans the Etruscan city
was destroyed, and its inhabitants were compelled to settle on a less defensible site. The new city was the birth-place of Sejanus, the worthless
favourite of Tiberius. Of the ancient city there are scarcely any remains.
56. Called also Crustumeria, Crustumium, and Crustuminium. It was
a city of Latium on the borders of the Sabine country, and was subdued
by Romulus, though it afterwards appears as independent in the time of
Tarquinius Priscus. The territory was noted for its fertility. The exact
site of the city is unknown; a place called Marcigliana Vecchia, about
nine miles from Rome, seems the most probable.
57. The site of Caletra is quite unknown. It was situate at some point
in the present valley of the Albegna.