DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.785#0478
CHAP. XIX.]
LEGENDS OF TARCHON AND TAGES.
373
Here, in the neighbourhood of Tarquinii, and about the
period in question, it came to pass, said the Etruscan
tradition recorded in the sacred books of the nation, that
as a certain peasant was ploughing the land, and chanced
to make a furrow deeper than usual, up sprang a wondrous
being, a boy in appearance, but a patriarch in wisdom,
Tages by name, the son of a Genius, and grandson of Jove.6
The peasant, amazed at this apparition, uttered a loud cry;
a crowd gathered round; and, " in a short time," says
Cicero, who relates the story, " all Etruria was assembled
on the spot." The mysterious boy then made known to
them the practice of divination by the inspection of entrails
and the flight of birds; they treasured up all he had said
or sung, and committed it to writing; and these records
formed the code of the sacred Discipline of the Etruscans,
which regulated their entire polity, civil and religious, and
was by them transmitted to the Romans.7 Though all
other, the ally of iEneas—and distin-
guishes them as the elder and the
younger.
6 Festus, v. Tages. The Etruscans,
however, regarded Tages as the son of
Hercules and Minerva, as we learn from
an Etruscan mirror, confirmed by other
monuments.—Ann. Inst. 1841, p. 94—
Dr. Braun ; who has also published a
separate tractate on this subject—
" Tages und des Hercules und der Mi-
nerva heilige Hochzeit."—Miinchen,
1839. An argument confirmatory of
the Pelasgic origin of Tarquinii may be
drawn from this very name. Tagus
was the title of the chieftain of the con-
federate cities of Thessaly (Xenoph.
Hist. GrEec. VI. 1; Pollux, I. c. 10);
whence Tarquinii, according to Justin,
derived her origin ; and the word Thes-
sali was used as a synonym with Pelasgi
(Strab. V. p. 220), the latter people having
one of their principal seats in Thessaly.
Mr. Grote (Hist. Greece, II. p. 373)
shows that the title Tagus was once
applied by a Roman consul to the chief
magistrate of the several cities of Thes-
saly.
1 Cic. de Divin. II. 23, 39 ; Ovid.
Metam. XV. 553—9 ; Censorin. de die
Nat. IV.; Serv. ad Ma. VIII. 398 ;
Lucan. I. 636 ; Amm. Marcell. XXI.
1, 10 ; Arnob. II. 69 ; Isid. Orig. VTII.
9 ; Mart. Capella de Nupt. II. p. 27 ;
VI. p. 134 ; Joan. Lydus de Ostentis. II.
III. Miiller credits the version of the last
named writer, that the husbandman who
ploughed up the oracular child was no
other than Tarchon himself (Etrusk. III.
2, 3). Elsewhere (III. 2, n. 14) he says,
in reference to Tarchon's hoary head,
mentioned by Strabo, " It is very clear
that Tarchon and Tages were personages
of the same legend, who might be easily
confounded." Cluver (II. p. 519) seems
to regard them as identical.
LEGENDS OF TARCHON AND TAGES.
373
Here, in the neighbourhood of Tarquinii, and about the
period in question, it came to pass, said the Etruscan
tradition recorded in the sacred books of the nation, that
as a certain peasant was ploughing the land, and chanced
to make a furrow deeper than usual, up sprang a wondrous
being, a boy in appearance, but a patriarch in wisdom,
Tages by name, the son of a Genius, and grandson of Jove.6
The peasant, amazed at this apparition, uttered a loud cry;
a crowd gathered round; and, " in a short time," says
Cicero, who relates the story, " all Etruria was assembled
on the spot." The mysterious boy then made known to
them the practice of divination by the inspection of entrails
and the flight of birds; they treasured up all he had said
or sung, and committed it to writing; and these records
formed the code of the sacred Discipline of the Etruscans,
which regulated their entire polity, civil and religious, and
was by them transmitted to the Romans.7 Though all
other, the ally of iEneas—and distin-
guishes them as the elder and the
younger.
6 Festus, v. Tages. The Etruscans,
however, regarded Tages as the son of
Hercules and Minerva, as we learn from
an Etruscan mirror, confirmed by other
monuments.—Ann. Inst. 1841, p. 94—
Dr. Braun ; who has also published a
separate tractate on this subject—
" Tages und des Hercules und der Mi-
nerva heilige Hochzeit."—Miinchen,
1839. An argument confirmatory of
the Pelasgic origin of Tarquinii may be
drawn from this very name. Tagus
was the title of the chieftain of the con-
federate cities of Thessaly (Xenoph.
Hist. GrEec. VI. 1; Pollux, I. c. 10);
whence Tarquinii, according to Justin,
derived her origin ; and the word Thes-
sali was used as a synonym with Pelasgi
(Strab. V. p. 220), the latter people having
one of their principal seats in Thessaly.
Mr. Grote (Hist. Greece, II. p. 373)
shows that the title Tagus was once
applied by a Roman consul to the chief
magistrate of the several cities of Thes-
saly.
1 Cic. de Divin. II. 23, 39 ; Ovid.
Metam. XV. 553—9 ; Censorin. de die
Nat. IV.; Serv. ad Ma. VIII. 398 ;
Lucan. I. 636 ; Amm. Marcell. XXI.
1, 10 ; Arnob. II. 69 ; Isid. Orig. VTII.
9 ; Mart. Capella de Nupt. II. p. 27 ;
VI. p. 134 ; Joan. Lydus de Ostentis. II.
III. Miiller credits the version of the last
named writer, that the husbandman who
ploughed up the oracular child was no
other than Tarchon himself (Etrusk. III.
2, 3). Elsewhere (III. 2, n. 14) he says,
in reference to Tarchon's hoary head,
mentioned by Strabo, " It is very clear
that Tarchon and Tages were personages
of the same legend, who might be easily
confounded." Cluver (II. p. 519) seems
to regard them as identical.