Dennis, George: The cities and cemeteries of Etruria: in two volumes (Band 2) (London, 1848)

CHAPTER XXXIX.

SIENA.—SENA.

Noi ce traemo ala cita de Sena,

La quale e posta en parte forte sana ;
De ligiadria e bei costumi plena,

E vaghe donne, e huomeni cortesi,
E laer dolcie, lucida, e serena.—Faccio degli Uberti.

Data sunt ipsis quoque fata sepulcris.—Juvenal.

Siena can urge no pretensions to be considered an
Etruscan city, that are founded either on historical records,
or on extant remains. By ancient writers she is men-
tioned only as a Roman colony, and as there is no mention
of her before the time of Caesar, and as she is styled
Sena Julia by the Theodosian Table, the probability is
that a colony was first established here by Julius Caesar,
or by the second Triumvirate.1 Nor is there a trace of
Etruscan antiquity visible on the site, though there are a
few shapeless caves in the cliffs around, which seem to
have been mistaken for tombs.2

Siena, therefore, would not have been mentioned among

1 See Repetti, V. p. 295. Sena is from that people—Senonum de nomine

mentioned as a colony by Pliny (III. 8) ; Sena—Sil. ItaL VIII. 45S ; XV. 552;

Tacitus (Hist. IV. 45) ; and Ptolemy Polyb. II. 19 ; cf. Appian. Bell. Civ.

(p. 72, ed. Bert.). Dempster (II. p. I. 88. Abeken (Mittelitalien, p. 33)

342) ascribes its origin to the Senonian thinks Sena was probably of Etruscan

Gauls, but without any authority, though origin, and a dependency of VolaterrEe ;

not confounding this city as others have but I see no valid grounds for this

done with Sena Gallica, now Sinigaglia opinion,
on the Adriatic, which derived its name 2 Sepulchres of Etruria, p. 508.