DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.785#0275
CHAPTER X.
FEBONIA AND CAP EN A.
Hsec duo prseterea disjeetis oppida muris.—Viro.
Itur in agros
Dives ubi ante omnes colitur Feronia luco
Et sacer humectat fluvialia rura Capenas.—Sil. Ital.
Another Etruscan city which played a prominent part
in the early history of Rome, was Capena.4 It is first men-
tioned by Livy in his account of the last Veientine war,
when it united with Falerii in endeavouring to assist Veii,
then beleagured by the Romans. The latter city, from her
power and proximity to Rome, was the bulwark of Etruria;
and it was foreseen by the neighbouring people, that
should she fall, the whole land would be open to inva-
sion.5 Falerii and Capena, fearing they should be next
attacked, made strenuous attempts to raise the siege, but
finding their efforts vain, they besought the aid of the
great Confederation of Etruria.6 Now, it had so happened
4 Capena is evidently a name of Etrus-
can origin. A tomb of the family of
" Capeni," or," Capenia," was discovered
at Perugia in 1843 (Vermigl. Scavi
Perugini, p. 9). Beside which, among
Etruscan family names, we meet with
" Capnas " (Verm. Isc. Perug. I. p. 226)
and " Capevani,"which Lanzi (II. p. 371)
thinks a derivation from Capena by the
omission of the digamma. In the tomb
of the Cilnii, the name " Caupna"
occurs, which has probably the same
derivation ; and "Carpna" is found on
a sepulchral tile at Chiusi (Mus. Chius.
II. p. 109). Stephanns calls this town
5 Liv. V. 8.
6 Liv. V. 17. From an obscure and
mutilated passage of Cato (ap. Serv.
Ma. VII. 697), it seems that Capena was
a colony of Veii sent out, as Niebuhr
(I. p. 120) interprets it, by the vow
of a sacred spring, (cf. Mttller, Etrusk.
einl. II. 14). This would be an addi-
tional reason for her eagerness to assist
the latter in her need.
FEBONIA AND CAP EN A.
Hsec duo prseterea disjeetis oppida muris.—Viro.
Itur in agros
Dives ubi ante omnes colitur Feronia luco
Et sacer humectat fluvialia rura Capenas.—Sil. Ital.
Another Etruscan city which played a prominent part
in the early history of Rome, was Capena.4 It is first men-
tioned by Livy in his account of the last Veientine war,
when it united with Falerii in endeavouring to assist Veii,
then beleagured by the Romans. The latter city, from her
power and proximity to Rome, was the bulwark of Etruria;
and it was foreseen by the neighbouring people, that
should she fall, the whole land would be open to inva-
sion.5 Falerii and Capena, fearing they should be next
attacked, made strenuous attempts to raise the siege, but
finding their efforts vain, they besought the aid of the
great Confederation of Etruria.6 Now, it had so happened
4 Capena is evidently a name of Etrus-
can origin. A tomb of the family of
" Capeni," or," Capenia," was discovered
at Perugia in 1843 (Vermigl. Scavi
Perugini, p. 9). Beside which, among
Etruscan family names, we meet with
" Capnas " (Verm. Isc. Perug. I. p. 226)
and " Capevani,"which Lanzi (II. p. 371)
thinks a derivation from Capena by the
omission of the digamma. In the tomb
of the Cilnii, the name " Caupna"
occurs, which has probably the same
derivation ; and "Carpna" is found on
a sepulchral tile at Chiusi (Mus. Chius.
II. p. 109). Stephanns calls this town
5 Liv. V. 8.
6 Liv. V. 17. From an obscure and
mutilated passage of Cato (ap. Serv.
Ma. VII. 697), it seems that Capena was
a colony of Veii sent out, as Niebuhr
(I. p. 120) interprets it, by the vow
of a sacred spring, (cf. Mttller, Etrusk.
einl. II. 14). This would be an addi-
tional reason for her eagerness to assist
the latter in her need.