Dennis, George: The cities and cemeteries of Etruria: in two volumes (Band 1) (London, 1848)

188 FERONIA AND CAPENA. [chap. x.

Hirpini, or Hirpi, as they are otherwise called, who made
the annual sacrifice to the god of the mountain, and per-
formed the marvellous feat of walking bare-footed over
live coals.3 This asbestic exploit seems to have con-
tinued in fashion to a late period; at least to the third
century of our era, for Solinus speaks of it as existing in
his day. Varro suspected jugglery, and would allow
nothing marvellous in it, for he says they rubbed their
soles with a certain medicament.4

Wolves are not the only beasts for which Soracte was
renowned. There was a race of wild goats—caprceferce—
perhaps roe-bucks, on the mountain, which, like magnified
fleas, could leap more than sixty feet at a bound! Well
done, old Cato ! 5

At Sommavilla, a village on the Sabine side of the Tiber,
opposite Soracte, tombs have been found containing vases
and other furniture, extremely like those of Etruria.6

in the Umbrian language, from its simi- called * Clatra."

larity to the Eugubian Tables, had some 3 Plin. Nat. Hist, VII. 2 ; Varro ap.

reference to these Irpini of Soracte. It Serv., Ma. XI. 787. Solinus Polyh.

runs thus — lebpibiok . santirpiob . II. p. IS. See p. 181, note 9.

DVIB . FOB . FOVEEB . DEBTIEK . BIEBIB . i VaiTO, loc. cit.

votik . fabeb . vef . nabaty . tef . poni . s Cato ap. Varron. Re Rust. II. cap. 3.

sibtib. Lanzi (Sagg. II. p. 541) pro- e for an account of these discoreries,

poses an amended reading. It is in- see Bull. Inst. 1836, p. 172, Dr. Braun;

seribed on a bas-relief which contains Bull. 1837, p. 65 ; p. 70—73, Braun ;

the figure of Apollo, and of a female P- 209—213, Fossati; Bull. 1838, p. 71.