DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42497#0082
30
Primitive Fortifications.
[CHAP. I.
“The god in whose honour they celebrate this festival is called Consus, which
some who translate the name into our language declare to mean Neptune, shaker
of the earth, and for this reason, they say, he is honoured with a subterranean
altar, because this god ‘ holds ’ the earth. But I am acquainted by hearsay with
another account, that the festival was held, and the races exhibited, in honour of
Neptune ; but the subterranean altar was afterwards erected to some god whose
name it is unlawful to divulge, who presides over and guards secret counsels.
For nowhere on earth, either by the Greeks or by the barbarians, has a concealed
altar been erected to Neptune. How the truth stands it is difficult to say p.”
Plutarch also refers to the altar :—
‘ ‘ A report was spread by him [Romulus] that he had found the altar of a certain
god hidden beneath the earth, and they named the god Consus, either because he
gives counsel, for even at this day they call the council of the nation ‘ concilium
or consilium,’ and the chief magistrates ‘consuls or counsellors,’ or because he is
the equestrian Neptune. For the altar is in the largest of the circuses, concealed
at other times, but uncovered on the occasion of the equestrian games. But others
without hesitation express their opinion that while counsel is undeclared and con-
cealed the altar of the god with good reason remains concealed, but when it is
declared, it exhibits a splendid sacrifice on the occasion, and games and a public
spectacle by proclamation11.”
The existence of a cave near this end of the Circus Maximus and
beneath the foot of the Palatine Hill is an important fact, and there
can probably be little doubt that the position of this altar was there,
namely, about twenty feet below the level of the Via de Cerchi, near
the corner where it is crossed by the Via di Fenili. It is the same
as the Lupercal of Augustus.
It is, further, more than probable that the water, which at the
present time is flowing from this cave, is the Aqua Cemens, called
also the Aqtta Argentina; and the extensive cave and vaulted cham-
bers over the spring, still remaining, were probably connected with
the altar that stood either in or near them. The abundant supply
of water at all times would be convenient for the sacrifices of oxen
to be slaughtered there. This cave has recently been explored and
described as the Lupercal; the situation of it closely agrees with the
description of the classical authorsr.
We come next to the (3.) Cttrice veteres, or ancient Law Courts.
These are mentioned in the catalogue of the Regionaries in the fourth
century as in the Palatine Region, but no remains have been found
to which the name would apply.
The site of the (4.) cell of Larunda, or of the Lares, is not known,
p Dionys. Ant., ii. 100, J. H. Parker, printed for the British
q Plut. Rom., c. xiv. Archaeological Society of Rome, 1869,
r See “The Lupercal of Augustus,” when it had been recently discovered.
&c., a lecture by Dr. Fabio Gori and
Primitive Fortifications.
[CHAP. I.
“The god in whose honour they celebrate this festival is called Consus, which
some who translate the name into our language declare to mean Neptune, shaker
of the earth, and for this reason, they say, he is honoured with a subterranean
altar, because this god ‘ holds ’ the earth. But I am acquainted by hearsay with
another account, that the festival was held, and the races exhibited, in honour of
Neptune ; but the subterranean altar was afterwards erected to some god whose
name it is unlawful to divulge, who presides over and guards secret counsels.
For nowhere on earth, either by the Greeks or by the barbarians, has a concealed
altar been erected to Neptune. How the truth stands it is difficult to say p.”
Plutarch also refers to the altar :—
‘ ‘ A report was spread by him [Romulus] that he had found the altar of a certain
god hidden beneath the earth, and they named the god Consus, either because he
gives counsel, for even at this day they call the council of the nation ‘ concilium
or consilium,’ and the chief magistrates ‘consuls or counsellors,’ or because he is
the equestrian Neptune. For the altar is in the largest of the circuses, concealed
at other times, but uncovered on the occasion of the equestrian games. But others
without hesitation express their opinion that while counsel is undeclared and con-
cealed the altar of the god with good reason remains concealed, but when it is
declared, it exhibits a splendid sacrifice on the occasion, and games and a public
spectacle by proclamation11.”
The existence of a cave near this end of the Circus Maximus and
beneath the foot of the Palatine Hill is an important fact, and there
can probably be little doubt that the position of this altar was there,
namely, about twenty feet below the level of the Via de Cerchi, near
the corner where it is crossed by the Via di Fenili. It is the same
as the Lupercal of Augustus.
It is, further, more than probable that the water, which at the
present time is flowing from this cave, is the Aqua Cemens, called
also the Aqtta Argentina; and the extensive cave and vaulted cham-
bers over the spring, still remaining, were probably connected with
the altar that stood either in or near them. The abundant supply
of water at all times would be convenient for the sacrifices of oxen
to be slaughtered there. This cave has recently been explored and
described as the Lupercal; the situation of it closely agrees with the
description of the classical authorsr.
We come next to the (3.) Cttrice veteres, or ancient Law Courts.
These are mentioned in the catalogue of the Regionaries in the fourth
century as in the Palatine Region, but no remains have been found
to which the name would apply.
The site of the (4.) cell of Larunda, or of the Lares, is not known,
p Dionys. Ant., ii. 100, J. H. Parker, printed for the British
q Plut. Rom., c. xiv. Archaeological Society of Rome, 1869,
r See “The Lupercal of Augustus,” when it had been recently discovered.
&c., a lecture by Dr. Fabio Gori and