DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.785#0053
INTRODUCTION.]
THE GODS OF ETBURIA.
liii
nine.4 The last two are not mentioned, but it seems probable
that one was Saturn, or it may be their great infernal deity
Manttjs.5 The ninth was probably Hercules—Ercle, or
Hercle—a favourite god of the Etruscans.6
Besides these, were other great deities, as Vertumntjs, or
" the changeable," the god of wine and gardens, the Etruscan
Bacchus;' though that god is sometimes also called Phuph-
litns.8 Allied to him, probably in more than name, was Tol-
ttjmna, the great goddess at whose shrine the confederate
princes of Etruria held their councils.9 "With her also may be
analogous, Horta, whose name, perhaps, indicates a goddess of
gardens, and from whom a town of Etruria derived its name.1
Aplu, or Apollo, often appears on Etruscan monuments, as god
of the sun, being sometimes called Usil ;2 and so also Ttjrms,
or Mercury;3 and Ttjran, or Venus;" and more rarely Thesan,
4 Serv. ad Mn. VIII. 429 ; cf. Plin.
P. S3.
5 The Etruscans are said to have
believed that thunderbolts came not
always from heaven, but sometimes
from the earth ; or, as some said, from
the planet Saturn. Plin. II. 53. On
this ground MUller (Etmsk. III. 3, 5)
thinks Saturn was the eighth. So
Gerhard, Gottheiten der Etrusker, p. 23.
Servius (ad Ma. VIII. 430), indeed,
says that some ascribed the power of
hurling bolts to Auster.
6 MUller (III. 4, 2) does not attempt
to supply the ninth. Gerhard, however,
from the evidence of monuments, takes
it to have been Hercules, for on an
Etruscan gem in his possession that god
is represented armed with the thunder-
bolt as well as with his club. Gottheit.
d. Etrusk. p. 23. Lanzi (II. p. 203) took
the ninth to be Bacchus.
7 See Vol. I. p. SI9.
8 As in the beautiful mirror repre-
sented in the frontispiece to this volume.
The name seems connected with
«Pupluna," the Etruscan form of
Populonia. See Vol. II. p. 242.
9 See Vol. I. p. 519.
1 See Vol. I. p. 163. Gerhard,
Gottheit. p. 35.
2 As on a mirror in the Museo
Gregoriano. See Vol. II. p. 520. This
name, however, has been found attached
to a female divinity on another mirror.
Bull. Inst. 1847, p. 117.
3 The name of this god on Etruscan
mirrors is generally "Turms," or
"Thurms"; in one case he is called
« Turms Aitas" (VoL II. p. 520), and in
a single instance he has the Latin appel-
lation "Mirqurios." Gerhard, Etrus.
Spieg. II. taf. CLXXXII. It is said
that the Etruscans called this god, G»-
millus. Callimachus, ap. Macrob. III. 8.
4 This name is so often attached to
figures of Venus, that there can be no
question of the identity. Sometimes
she is represented with "Atunis"
(Adonis), or with " Elina" and "Menle"
(Helen and Menelaus), or with " Elina"
and " Elsntre" (Helen and Alexander).
Gerhard, Et. Spieg. taf. CXI, CXV,
CXCVII,CXCVIII. Tertullian (Speck
e. VIII.) says this goddess was called
Murtia.
THE GODS OF ETBURIA.
liii
nine.4 The last two are not mentioned, but it seems probable
that one was Saturn, or it may be their great infernal deity
Manttjs.5 The ninth was probably Hercules—Ercle, or
Hercle—a favourite god of the Etruscans.6
Besides these, were other great deities, as Vertumntjs, or
" the changeable," the god of wine and gardens, the Etruscan
Bacchus;' though that god is sometimes also called Phuph-
litns.8 Allied to him, probably in more than name, was Tol-
ttjmna, the great goddess at whose shrine the confederate
princes of Etruria held their councils.9 "With her also may be
analogous, Horta, whose name, perhaps, indicates a goddess of
gardens, and from whom a town of Etruria derived its name.1
Aplu, or Apollo, often appears on Etruscan monuments, as god
of the sun, being sometimes called Usil ;2 and so also Ttjrms,
or Mercury;3 and Ttjran, or Venus;" and more rarely Thesan,
4 Serv. ad Mn. VIII. 429 ; cf. Plin.
P. S3.
5 The Etruscans are said to have
believed that thunderbolts came not
always from heaven, but sometimes
from the earth ; or, as some said, from
the planet Saturn. Plin. II. 53. On
this ground MUller (Etmsk. III. 3, 5)
thinks Saturn was the eighth. So
Gerhard, Gottheiten der Etrusker, p. 23.
Servius (ad Ma. VIII. 430), indeed,
says that some ascribed the power of
hurling bolts to Auster.
6 MUller (III. 4, 2) does not attempt
to supply the ninth. Gerhard, however,
from the evidence of monuments, takes
it to have been Hercules, for on an
Etruscan gem in his possession that god
is represented armed with the thunder-
bolt as well as with his club. Gottheit.
d. Etrusk. p. 23. Lanzi (II. p. 203) took
the ninth to be Bacchus.
7 See Vol. I. p. SI9.
8 As in the beautiful mirror repre-
sented in the frontispiece to this volume.
The name seems connected with
«Pupluna," the Etruscan form of
Populonia. See Vol. II. p. 242.
9 See Vol. I. p. 519.
1 See Vol. I. p. 163. Gerhard,
Gottheit. p. 35.
2 As on a mirror in the Museo
Gregoriano. See Vol. II. p. 520. This
name, however, has been found attached
to a female divinity on another mirror.
Bull. Inst. 1847, p. 117.
3 The name of this god on Etruscan
mirrors is generally "Turms," or
"Thurms"; in one case he is called
« Turms Aitas" (VoL II. p. 520), and in
a single instance he has the Latin appel-
lation "Mirqurios." Gerhard, Etrus.
Spieg. II. taf. CLXXXII. It is said
that the Etruscans called this god, G»-
millus. Callimachus, ap. Macrob. III. 8.
4 This name is so often attached to
figures of Venus, that there can be no
question of the identity. Sometimes
she is represented with "Atunis"
(Adonis), or with " Elina" and "Menle"
(Helen and Menelaus), or with " Elina"
and " Elsntre" (Helen and Alexander).
Gerhard, Et. Spieg. taf. CXI, CXV,
CXCVII,CXCVIII. Tertullian (Speck
e. VIII.) says this goddess was called
Murtia.