Cook, Arthur B.: Zeus: a study in ancient religion (Band 2,1): Zeus god of the dark sky (thunder and lightning): Text and notes (Cambridge, 1925)

420

Diana's tree at Nemi

then, that the great trunk was felled some time between 1776, when
Miss Knight went to Italy, and 1797, when Ratti brought out his
account of Genzano. Its identification as an oak rests on the state-
ment of Tomassetti. If that is reliable, then Sir James Frazer's
surmise concerning Diana's tree receives at least a supplementary
prop1.

We need not, therefore, scruple to admit that Virbius was repre-
sented as a Janiform herm covered with oak-leaves just because he
was the consort of Diana-. How long he persisted in folk-memory
and how widely he was recognised, our meagre records do not permit
us to determine. As to the former question, C. G. Leland in 1892
published a curious tale current among the Romagnoli of northern
Italy, in which we can readily detect a moralising reminiscence of
Diana, Virbius, and his successful rival3. As to the latter question,

stanza, a poco a poco non ne avesse seccato le radici, e 1' albero stesso, per il che anni
indietro bisogno venirne al taglio. Noi lo abbiamo veduto dopo reciso, e possiamo
assicurare, che 1' assertiva del Kircher riguardo alia straordinaria di lui grandezza non e
punto esaggerata. Un albero di questa natura non poteva essere, che di un eta vecchissima,
e quando non voglia credersi coevo di Cesare Augusto almeno non gli si potran negare
mold secoli di vita.'

1 If it be objected that Genzano is on the opposite side of the Lake to Nemi, we must
bear in mind the constant tendency of the early population to move down from the moun-
tain towards the sea (G. Tomassetti La Campagna Romana Roma 1910 ii. 263 f.). As
Diana's temple at Nemi was duplicated by Diana's temple at Aricia (id. ib.), so ex
hypothesi the oak at Nemi was duplicated by the oak at Genzano.

Two other possibilities are worth weighing. (1) Quite conceivably the sacred tree of
Diana Nemorensis was an apple-tree. 1 have erenow been half-inclined to maintain that
view: see Folk-Lore 1906 xvii. 445 f., supra i. 274 f. And further reasons for adopting it
could be adduced. In 1744 the site of the precinct at Nemi was occupied by thepomario
of P. Frangipani (Tomassetti op. cit. ii. 264). Miss Douglas writes to me (Sept. 13, 1912) :
' There are a good number of apple trees on the slopes of the lake, some of them fairly
large.' Also it is a well-known fact that mistletoe very commonly grows on an apple-tree.
(2) Again, something might be said for the conjecture that Diana's tree was a beech. She
was certainly a beech-goddess in the near neighbourhood (supra p. 402 f. and especially
p- 403 n. 1). And the whole district is called La Faiola (=La Faggiuola) from its beeches
(L. Morpurgo in the Mon. d. Line. 1903 xiii. 297 n. 1).

- Supra p. 400.

3 G. G. Leland Etruscan Roman Remains in Popular Tradition London 1892 p. 124 f.
" Verbio was a beautiful youth, as good as he was beautiful, and he loved with all his heart
a maid who seemed to return his love. " But she soon was tempted, | Tempted by an-
other I Youth of greater beauty, | Which was like enchantment; | Yet he was a stranger, [
And he had no story, | For this handsome stranger, | Verbio was slighted. "Then Verbio
fell ill in despair, and seemed to be dying, and the girl learning this repented, and in grief
said to her new lover : ' I have done wrong, and I now see that Verbio loved me truly as
thou dost not and no one can.' Then her lover gazed at her and she saw he was not a
man but a devil. And he said :—" ' See what thou hast done, | See how thou art wicked, |
Leaving one who loved thee | With all soul sincerely ! | Yet for me you left him, | Yes,
for me, a devil; | Now you both are lost, | For thou'st truly promised | To be mine for
ever, | As thou holdest Verbio. | But if you will sign | With your blood a contract | To
be mine, I'll grant ye | Many, many years | Of happiness together.' "Now Verbio did