DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.786#0041
chap, xxxiii.] HISTORY OF (LERE. 25
word ceremony—ceerimonia—has been ascribed to tins
event.8
A year or two before the capture of Rome by the Gauls,
Caere was engaged with another enemy, Dionysius, the
tyrant of Syracuse, who, in 362, attacked Pyrgi, and
spoiled its celebrated temple of Ilithyia. As this was the
port of Caere, the inhabitants of the latter city rushed to
the rescue, but, being probably unprepared for war, not
expecting an attack, they were easily routed by the
Sicilians.9
Caere, though closely allied to Rome, continued to main-
tain her independence; but it is probable that this was
threatened, otherwise "the sympathy of blood" alone
would hardly have induced her, in the year 401 (B.C
353), to take up arms to assist Tarquinii against Rome,
when she had been for ages intimately associated with the
Republic. She must have received some provocation when
she sent an army into the Roman territory, and laid it
waste up to the mouth of the Tiber. Bre long, however,
conscious of her unequal strength, she repented of this step,
and besought pardon and peace, reminding the Romans of
the services she had rendered in their distress. The senate
referred her ambassadors to the people, who, moved by
their touching appeal and the remembrance of past services,
as an honour was made significant of franchise as a disgraceful condition,
disgrace ; for tabulae Ccerites and cera 8 Val. Max. loc. cit. Festus, v. Ceeri-
Cceritis came to imply the condition of monia. The etymologies of the ancients,
Roman citizens, who had been deprived however, are rarely to be trusted ; but
of the right of suffrage. Hor. I. ep. Niebuhr (I. p. 386) thinks this derivation
VI. 62. Aul. Gell. XVI. 13, 7. Strabo, very plausible. It has been suggested
loc. cit. Niebuhr (II. pp. 60, 67) is of to me that the first syllable of the word
opinion, from the classification of Festus was not originally Coeri, but Coeri (for
(y. Muuicipium), that Caere was really Curi,i.e. Cura)—monia—which, at least,
degraded from the highest rank of citizen- is expressive of the meaning ; and the
ship, in consequence of her conduct in two diphthongs are sometimes inter-
the year 401 ; and thus he accounts for changeable,
the proverbial reference to the Cseritan 9 See the last chapter, page 15.
word ceremony—ceerimonia—has been ascribed to tins
event.8
A year or two before the capture of Rome by the Gauls,
Caere was engaged with another enemy, Dionysius, the
tyrant of Syracuse, who, in 362, attacked Pyrgi, and
spoiled its celebrated temple of Ilithyia. As this was the
port of Caere, the inhabitants of the latter city rushed to
the rescue, but, being probably unprepared for war, not
expecting an attack, they were easily routed by the
Sicilians.9
Caere, though closely allied to Rome, continued to main-
tain her independence; but it is probable that this was
threatened, otherwise "the sympathy of blood" alone
would hardly have induced her, in the year 401 (B.C
353), to take up arms to assist Tarquinii against Rome,
when she had been for ages intimately associated with the
Republic. She must have received some provocation when
she sent an army into the Roman territory, and laid it
waste up to the mouth of the Tiber. Bre long, however,
conscious of her unequal strength, she repented of this step,
and besought pardon and peace, reminding the Romans of
the services she had rendered in their distress. The senate
referred her ambassadors to the people, who, moved by
their touching appeal and the remembrance of past services,
as an honour was made significant of franchise as a disgraceful condition,
disgrace ; for tabulae Ccerites and cera 8 Val. Max. loc. cit. Festus, v. Ceeri-
Cceritis came to imply the condition of monia. The etymologies of the ancients,
Roman citizens, who had been deprived however, are rarely to be trusted ; but
of the right of suffrage. Hor. I. ep. Niebuhr (I. p. 386) thinks this derivation
VI. 62. Aul. Gell. XVI. 13, 7. Strabo, very plausible. It has been suggested
loc. cit. Niebuhr (II. pp. 60, 67) is of to me that the first syllable of the word
opinion, from the classification of Festus was not originally Coeri, but Coeri (for
(y. Muuicipium), that Caere was really Curi,i.e. Cura)—monia—which, at least,
degraded from the highest rank of citizen- is expressive of the meaning ; and the
ship, in consequence of her conduct in two diphthongs are sometimes inter-
the year 401 ; and thus he accounts for changeable,
the proverbial reference to the Cseritan 9 See the last chapter, page 15.