DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.847#0266
TAKQUINIA.
245
Rome there must have been a carriage-road even
before the reign of Tarquinius Priscus. The date
of its foundation was 1513 b. c. Others, however, say
432 before Rome, or 1186 b. c, which is the more
probable. The stone employed in the building of the
walls is calcareous, but yet so exceedingly soft, that it
is, perhaps, more easily cut than the common tufo, so
that no argument can be founded on any similarity be-
tween their construction and that of the Pelasgic
cities. The walls are parallelograms, and are almost
all constructed with soft stone. Very few of the
blocks retain their original position, but are chiefly
to be found under the precipices, or scattered about
on the declivities. Irregularity of construction is,
however, perceptible in some parts, as is evident
from the subjoined specimen, taken from what was
once the citadel or palace.
" Corneto was probably the Cort Nossa, or the Cort
Enebra of Livy, commonly read Cortuosa and Con-
tenebra, two forts of the Tarquinienses. Possibly
Cort may mean a castle. One of them stood pro-
bably upon the opposite side of the stream.
" Tarquinia is placed upon a nearly flat or table
hill, shaped like the letter L, the top of the letter
being to the west, and the end of it to the north.
At these two points were two castles,—Civitella at
245
Rome there must have been a carriage-road even
before the reign of Tarquinius Priscus. The date
of its foundation was 1513 b. c. Others, however, say
432 before Rome, or 1186 b. c, which is the more
probable. The stone employed in the building of the
walls is calcareous, but yet so exceedingly soft, that it
is, perhaps, more easily cut than the common tufo, so
that no argument can be founded on any similarity be-
tween their construction and that of the Pelasgic
cities. The walls are parallelograms, and are almost
all constructed with soft stone. Very few of the
blocks retain their original position, but are chiefly
to be found under the precipices, or scattered about
on the declivities. Irregularity of construction is,
however, perceptible in some parts, as is evident
from the subjoined specimen, taken from what was
once the citadel or palace.
" Corneto was probably the Cort Nossa, or the Cort
Enebra of Livy, commonly read Cortuosa and Con-
tenebra, two forts of the Tarquinienses. Possibly
Cort may mean a castle. One of them stood pro-
bably upon the opposite side of the stream.
" Tarquinia is placed upon a nearly flat or table
hill, shaped like the letter L, the top of the letter
being to the west, and the end of it to the north.
At these two points were two castles,—Civitella at