DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0491
Diana's tree at Nemi
a priest of Virbius is mentioned in an inscription at Naples1, and
there was a Clivus Virbius in the immediate vicinity of an ancient
Dianium at Rome2. Servius' statement that Diana was transferred
from Aricia to Sparta3 leads me to suggest that at a comparatively
late date Virbius, the associate of Diana Nemorensis, was attached
to Artemis Orthia also. Vibius Sequester actually gives Virbius as
the name of a Laconian river4. And Pausanias says that the image
of Artemis Orthia was found by Astrabakos and Alopekos the sons
of Irbos. He adds that Irbos was the son of Amphisthenes, son of
Amphikles, son of Agis5. I suspect that Irbos is a late Grecised form
of Virbius ; and in his forbears Amfihz'sthenes and Amphikles I find
a hint of his Janiform nature6. The connexion of Virbius with
Artemis Orthia would be doubly appropriate if, as is certainly
possible, the Greek Orthia was the older phonetic equivalent of the
Latin Virbius'', both names being akin to the word arbor*. On this
not believe in the power of devils, and was only too glad to get his love again, and so
signed the contract, as she did also. And they lived happily indeed for many years ; but
years must end, and so it came to pass that when the time of the contract expired both
died at once. And all at once there was an awful storm over all the land, the heavens
grew dark by day, and horrible fires flashed out of the darkness, and amid the storm was
heard a voice which sang:—" 'Women, learn to love [ One true love, and truly; | When
you're truly loved | Be warned by my example ! | Now I pay the fee | For my fatal false-
hood.' "And since that time the two have gone about as spirits knowing no rest."
Leland has been accused of inaccuracy—a charge which he hotly rebuts (op. cit. p. 13 ff.).
He was no doubt an erratic genius, and there is a good deal of chaff mixed with his grain.
But he certainly meant his tales from La Romagna Toscana as a serious contribution to
folk-lore : see his letters to Mrs Pennell written from Florence in 1890—1891 and printed
by E. R. Pennell Charles Godfrey Leland London 1906 ii. 339 ff.
1 Corp. inscr. Lat. x no. 1493, 6 = Dessau /user. Lat. sel. no. 6457, 6 flamini Virbiali.
See further Frazer Golden Bough3: The Magic Art i. 20 n. 3.
2 Supra p. 400 f. See further Class. Rev. 1902 xvi. 380 n. 3.
3 Serv. in Verg. Aen. 2. 116 Colchos petierat (sc. Orestes), et cum his occiso Thoante,
simulacrum sustulit absconditum fasce lignorum : unde et Facelitis dicitur...et Ariciam
detulit. sed cum postea Romanis sacrorum crudelitas displiceret, quamquam servi immo-
larentur, ad Laconas est Diana translata, ubi sacrificii consuetudo adulescentum verberibus
servatur, qui vocabantur Bomonicae, quia aris superpositi contendebant, qui plura posset
verbera sustinere. Infra § 3 (c) i (a).
4 Supra p. 394 n. 2.
5 Paus. 3. 16. 9 tovto fj.ev yap ' Ao~Tpdj3aKos Kai' AXwireKos oi "Ip{3ov tov 'ApLcpiadevovs rod
'Ap.<pLK\eovs Tov"Ayi5os to dyaXp.a evpovres ai/TiKa irapecppbvriffav. Cp. 3. 16. 11 KaXouai 5e
ovk' Opdiav jxbvov, dXXd /cat Avyo5eo~p.av ttjv avrrjv, otl ev 8dp.v(p Xvyiov eupidr), TrepteiXrideicra
de rj Xvyos iiroi^ae to aya\p.a bpdbv.
a Folk-Lore 1905 xvi. 290 n. 9. Note also the title Ambis&grus (supra p. 328).
7 My expert friend Dr P. Giles tells me (May 1918) that * Vurbia, the strict equivalent
of Fopdia (for uoi-dhiid) ^involves a sound Vu which the Latins disliked and would there-
fore alter by dissimilation (cp. *vucus>vicus). He thinks that the first i of Virbius may
perhaps be due to the influence of the second i (cp. filius).
8 According to Walde Lat. etym. Wdrterb? pp. 55 f., 58 and Boisacq Diet, e'tytn. de
la Langue Gr. p. 711 f-, arbor, arduus, and bpdbs are all of kindred origin.
a priest of Virbius is mentioned in an inscription at Naples1, and
there was a Clivus Virbius in the immediate vicinity of an ancient
Dianium at Rome2. Servius' statement that Diana was transferred
from Aricia to Sparta3 leads me to suggest that at a comparatively
late date Virbius, the associate of Diana Nemorensis, was attached
to Artemis Orthia also. Vibius Sequester actually gives Virbius as
the name of a Laconian river4. And Pausanias says that the image
of Artemis Orthia was found by Astrabakos and Alopekos the sons
of Irbos. He adds that Irbos was the son of Amphisthenes, son of
Amphikles, son of Agis5. I suspect that Irbos is a late Grecised form
of Virbius ; and in his forbears Amfihz'sthenes and Amphikles I find
a hint of his Janiform nature6. The connexion of Virbius with
Artemis Orthia would be doubly appropriate if, as is certainly
possible, the Greek Orthia was the older phonetic equivalent of the
Latin Virbius'', both names being akin to the word arbor*. On this
not believe in the power of devils, and was only too glad to get his love again, and so
signed the contract, as she did also. And they lived happily indeed for many years ; but
years must end, and so it came to pass that when the time of the contract expired both
died at once. And all at once there was an awful storm over all the land, the heavens
grew dark by day, and horrible fires flashed out of the darkness, and amid the storm was
heard a voice which sang:—" 'Women, learn to love [ One true love, and truly; | When
you're truly loved | Be warned by my example ! | Now I pay the fee | For my fatal false-
hood.' "And since that time the two have gone about as spirits knowing no rest."
Leland has been accused of inaccuracy—a charge which he hotly rebuts (op. cit. p. 13 ff.).
He was no doubt an erratic genius, and there is a good deal of chaff mixed with his grain.
But he certainly meant his tales from La Romagna Toscana as a serious contribution to
folk-lore : see his letters to Mrs Pennell written from Florence in 1890—1891 and printed
by E. R. Pennell Charles Godfrey Leland London 1906 ii. 339 ff.
1 Corp. inscr. Lat. x no. 1493, 6 = Dessau /user. Lat. sel. no. 6457, 6 flamini Virbiali.
See further Frazer Golden Bough3: The Magic Art i. 20 n. 3.
2 Supra p. 400 f. See further Class. Rev. 1902 xvi. 380 n. 3.
3 Serv. in Verg. Aen. 2. 116 Colchos petierat (sc. Orestes), et cum his occiso Thoante,
simulacrum sustulit absconditum fasce lignorum : unde et Facelitis dicitur...et Ariciam
detulit. sed cum postea Romanis sacrorum crudelitas displiceret, quamquam servi immo-
larentur, ad Laconas est Diana translata, ubi sacrificii consuetudo adulescentum verberibus
servatur, qui vocabantur Bomonicae, quia aris superpositi contendebant, qui plura posset
verbera sustinere. Infra § 3 (c) i (a).
4 Supra p. 394 n. 2.
5 Paus. 3. 16. 9 tovto fj.ev yap ' Ao~Tpdj3aKos Kai' AXwireKos oi "Ip{3ov tov 'ApLcpiadevovs rod
'Ap.<pLK\eovs Tov"Ayi5os to dyaXp.a evpovres ai/TiKa irapecppbvriffav. Cp. 3. 16. 11 KaXouai 5e
ovk' Opdiav jxbvov, dXXd /cat Avyo5eo~p.av ttjv avrrjv, otl ev 8dp.v(p Xvyiov eupidr), TrepteiXrideicra
de rj Xvyos iiroi^ae to aya\p.a bpdbv.
a Folk-Lore 1905 xvi. 290 n. 9. Note also the title Ambis&grus (supra p. 328).
7 My expert friend Dr P. Giles tells me (May 1918) that * Vurbia, the strict equivalent
of Fopdia (for uoi-dhiid) ^involves a sound Vu which the Latins disliked and would there-
fore alter by dissimilation (cp. *vucus>vicus). He thinks that the first i of Virbius may
perhaps be due to the influence of the second i (cp. filius).
8 According to Walde Lat. etym. Wdrterb? pp. 55 f., 58 and Boisacq Diet, e'tytn. de
la Langue Gr. p. 711 f-, arbor, arduus, and bpdbs are all of kindred origin.