DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.44944#0582
5io
TASCOGENSES—AD TAURUM
Tarpeius was most probably, according to the general rule in such cases,
derived from that of a gens Tarpcia, some of whom lived in the immediate
neighbourhood, and one of whose women was the heroine of the myth
of Tarpeia which circulated in so many versions.1 For some discussion of
this question and references to the abundant literature, see Sanders,
Univ, of Michigan Studies, i. I-47 ; Pais, Anc. Legends 96-108 ; Storia i2.
430, 538 ; Rev. Arch. 1908, i. 64-74; Rosch. v. 111-116.
That Tarpeius mons continued in use to some extent is shown by
an inscription of 259 a.d. (NS 1892, 407; CIL vi. 37170 : deae Virgini
Caelestis praesentissimo numini loci montis Tarpei), and there seems
to be no doubt that it was sometimes applied to the whole Capitoline
hill, but, like Capitolinus, that it was also used of the southern summit
alone.
Rupes Tarpeia is clearly identified by Varro (LL, v. 41) with saxum
Tarpeium, but nowhere in extant Latin literature is this name found in
connection with the execution of criminals. In several passages it is
closely connected with the cult of Jupiter (Sil. Ital. iii. 623 ; x. 360 ;
Prop. iv. I. 7 ; Claud. 28. 45 ; Firm. Mat. math. i. IO. 17), once with the
temple of Saturn (Lucan iii. 154), once it occurs with no topographical
indication (Liv. vi. 17. 4), while Tacitus (Hist. iii. 71) connects it with
the centum gradus, of which nothing further is known. The equivalent
of rupes in Greek seems to be κρημνός (Dionys. vii. 35. 4 ; viii. 78, 5), or
Ύτότρα (Plut. Rom. 18).
There has been much divergence of opinion as to the position of this
saxum from which criminals were thrown, but the unequivocal statement
that it overhung the forum (Dionys. vii. 35. 4 ; viii. 78. 5), and that
executions could be seen by all the people assembled there, together with
the close connection between rupes Tarpeia and the temple of Jupiter,
point clearly to the cliffs at the south-west corner of the hill, over the
ancient vicus Iugarius and the modern Piazza della Consolazione.2 A
recent attempt to locate the saxum on the arx (Pais, Anc. Legends
109-127) is unsuccessful, and takes no account of Suetonius (Iul. 44),
where Tarpeius mons at any rate could not possibly mean the arx over-
looking the forum. For further discussion and literature, see Jord. i. 2.
127-131, and Capitolinus Mons.
Tascogenses : those who dwelt in some wholly unknown district of the
city, mentioned only in one inscription of the fourth century (CIL vi.
31893 &, 5 ; BC 1891, 342-345)·
Ad Taurum : a locality near the thermae of Trajan, which occurs as a name
of various mediaeval churches, and very likely has a classical origin.
It is distinct from the Forum Tauri (q.v.). Cf. HCh 469 (S. Silvestri de
1 There was a statue of Tarpeia in the temple of Jupiter in the Porticus Metelli (Fest. 363).
2 Jordan (Capitol, Forum, und Sacra Via, 5) makes a good point in noticing that the
saxum, from which traitors (perfidi) were thrown, was close to the temple of Fides (q.v.) :
see Hulsen in Festschrift fur Kiepert, 215, and plan.
TASCOGENSES—AD TAURUM
Tarpeius was most probably, according to the general rule in such cases,
derived from that of a gens Tarpcia, some of whom lived in the immediate
neighbourhood, and one of whose women was the heroine of the myth
of Tarpeia which circulated in so many versions.1 For some discussion of
this question and references to the abundant literature, see Sanders,
Univ, of Michigan Studies, i. I-47 ; Pais, Anc. Legends 96-108 ; Storia i2.
430, 538 ; Rev. Arch. 1908, i. 64-74; Rosch. v. 111-116.
That Tarpeius mons continued in use to some extent is shown by
an inscription of 259 a.d. (NS 1892, 407; CIL vi. 37170 : deae Virgini
Caelestis praesentissimo numini loci montis Tarpei), and there seems
to be no doubt that it was sometimes applied to the whole Capitoline
hill, but, like Capitolinus, that it was also used of the southern summit
alone.
Rupes Tarpeia is clearly identified by Varro (LL, v. 41) with saxum
Tarpeium, but nowhere in extant Latin literature is this name found in
connection with the execution of criminals. In several passages it is
closely connected with the cult of Jupiter (Sil. Ital. iii. 623 ; x. 360 ;
Prop. iv. I. 7 ; Claud. 28. 45 ; Firm. Mat. math. i. IO. 17), once with the
temple of Saturn (Lucan iii. 154), once it occurs with no topographical
indication (Liv. vi. 17. 4), while Tacitus (Hist. iii. 71) connects it with
the centum gradus, of which nothing further is known. The equivalent
of rupes in Greek seems to be κρημνός (Dionys. vii. 35. 4 ; viii. 78, 5), or
Ύτότρα (Plut. Rom. 18).
There has been much divergence of opinion as to the position of this
saxum from which criminals were thrown, but the unequivocal statement
that it overhung the forum (Dionys. vii. 35. 4 ; viii. 78. 5), and that
executions could be seen by all the people assembled there, together with
the close connection between rupes Tarpeia and the temple of Jupiter,
point clearly to the cliffs at the south-west corner of the hill, over the
ancient vicus Iugarius and the modern Piazza della Consolazione.2 A
recent attempt to locate the saxum on the arx (Pais, Anc. Legends
109-127) is unsuccessful, and takes no account of Suetonius (Iul. 44),
where Tarpeius mons at any rate could not possibly mean the arx over-
looking the forum. For further discussion and literature, see Jord. i. 2.
127-131, and Capitolinus Mons.
Tascogenses : those who dwelt in some wholly unknown district of the
city, mentioned only in one inscription of the fourth century (CIL vi.
31893 &, 5 ; BC 1891, 342-345)·
Ad Taurum : a locality near the thermae of Trajan, which occurs as a name
of various mediaeval churches, and very likely has a classical origin.
It is distinct from the Forum Tauri (q.v.). Cf. HCh 469 (S. Silvestri de
1 There was a statue of Tarpeia in the temple of Jupiter in the Porticus Metelli (Fest. 363).
2 Jordan (Capitol, Forum, und Sacra Via, 5) makes a good point in noticing that the
saxum, from which traitors (perfidi) were thrown, was close to the temple of Fides (q.v.) :
see Hulsen in Festschrift fur Kiepert, 215, and plan.