Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 1.djvu/108

 ^t 92 ALBAKUS MONS: the Mons Albanns in the singalar, as designating the highest peak. The whole mass is clearlj d* volcanic origin, and may be conceived as having once formed a vast crater, of which the loftj ridge jijir now called Monte Ariano constituted the southern side, while the Heights of Mt. Algidus, and those cKxnpied bj Rocca Priore and Tnsculum continued the circle on Uie E. and NE. Towards the sea the original mountain wall of this crater has given way, and has been replaced by the lakes of AJbano and JViemf, themselves probably at one time separate vents of volcanic eruption. Within this outer circle rises an inner height, of a somewhat conical form, the proper Mons Albanus, which presents a repeti- tion of the same formation, having its own smaller crater surrounded on three sides by steep mountain ridges, while the fourth (that turned towards Rome) has no such barrier, and presents to view a green mountun plun, commonly known as the Campo di Armtbale, from the belief — ^wholly unsupported by any ancient authority — ^that it was at one time occufaed by the Carthaginian generaL The highest of the surrounding summits, which rises to more than 3000 feet above the level of the sea, is the culminating point of the whole group, and was occupied in ancient times by the temple of Jupiter Latiaris. (Cic. pro Mil. 31 ; Lucan. L 198.) It is fipom hence that Virgil represents Juno as con- templating the contest between the Trojans and Latins (^Aen. xii. 134), and the magnificent pro- spect which it commands over the whole of the surrounding country renders it peculiarly fit for such a station, as well as the natural site for the central sanctuaiy of the Latin nation. For the same reason we find it occupied as a militaiy post on the alarm of tiie sudden advance of Hannibal upon Rome. (Liv. zxvL 9.) There can be no doubt that the temple of Jupiter Latiaris* had become the religious centre and place of meeting of the Latins long before the dominion of Rome: and its connection with Alba renders it almost certain that it owed its selection for this purpose to the predominance of that city. Tar- quinius Superbns, who is represented by the Roman annalists as first instituting this observance (Dion. Hal. iv. 49), probably did no more than assert for Rome that presidii^ authority which had pre- viously been enjoyed by Alba. The annual sacrifices on the Alban Mount at the Feriae LiUanae continued to be celebrated long after the dissolution of the Latin league, and the cessation of their national assemblies: even in the days of Cicero and Augus- tus the decayed Mnuidpia of Latium still sent deputies to receive their share of the victim immo- lated on their common behalf, and presented with primitive simplicity their ofierings <^ lambs, milk, and cheese. (Liv. v. 17, xxL 63, xxxii. 1; Cic pro Plane. 9, de JHvin. L 11; Dion. HaL iv. 49; Suet. Claiid. 4.) Another custom which was doubtless derived from a mcnre ancient period, but retained by the Romans, was that of celebrating triumphs on the Alban Mount, a practice which was, however, re- sorted to by Roman generals only when they failed in obtaining the honours of a regular triumph at Rome. The first person who introduced this mode of evading the authority of the senate, was C. Papi- Orell. Onomast vol. ii. p. 336; Ernest, ad Suet. Califf. 22. ALBII MONTES. rius ^laso, who was consul in b. c. 231 : aT|maro illustrious example was that of Marcellns, afte^ the capture of Syracuse, b. c. 211. Only five instmces in all are recorded of triumphs thus celebrated. (Val. Max. iii. 6. § 5; Liv. xxvi. 21, xxxiii. 23, xlii. 21 ; Fast. Capit.) The remains of the temple on the summit of the mountain were still extant till near the dose of the last century, but were destroyed in 1783, when the church and ooivent which now occupy the site were rebuilt. Some of the massive blocks of peperino which formed the substruction may be still seen (though removed from their original site) in the walls of the convent and buildings annexed to it. The magnificence of the marbles and other archi- tectural decorations noticed by earlier antiquarians, as discovered here, show that the temple must have been rebuilt or restored at a comparatively late period. (Piranesi, AntichUa di ABxmo,- Nibby, Bintomi di Roma, voL L pp. 112, 113.) But though the temple itself has disappeared, the Roman road which led up to it is stOl preserved, and, from the absence of all traflSc, remains in a state of singular perfection. The polygonal blodu of hard basaltic lava, of which the pavement ia composed, are fitted together with the nicest ac- curacy', while the " crepidines " or curb-stones are still preserved on each side, and altogether it pre- sents by far the most perfect specimen of an andent Roman road in its original state. It is only 8 feet in breadth, and is carried with much skill up the steep acclivity of the mountain. This road may be traced down to the chesnut woods below Rocca di Papa: it appears to have passed by Palazeohf where we find a remarkable monument cut in the face of the rock, which has been conjectured to be that of Cn. Cornelius Scipio, who died in b. c. 176. (Nibby, /. c. pp. 75, 114, 115; Gdl, Top. of Rome, p. 32.) Numerous prodigies are recorded by Roman writers as occurring on tlie Alban Mount: among these the felling of showers of stones is frequently mentioned, a circumstance v^ch has been supposed by some writers to indicate that the volcanic enei^ of th^e mountains continueid in historical times; but this suggestion is sufi^dently disproved by his- torioil, as well as geological, considerations. (Dau- beny on Volcanoes, p. 169, seq. [E. H. B.] A'LBICI, a barbaric people, as Caesar calls them (B. C. i. 34), who inhabited the mountains above Massilia {MargeiUe). They were employed rat board their vessels by the Massilienses to oppose Caesar s fleet, which was under the ' command of D. Brutus, and they fought bravely in the sea-fight off Massilia, b. c. 49 (Caes. B. C. I 57). the name of this people in Strabo is *AStus and 'AA- €toiKoi (p. 203); for it does not seem probable that he means two peoples, and if he does mean two tribes, they are both mountain tribes, and in the same mountain tract. D'Anville infers that a place called AUnotCj which is about two leagues from Riez, in the department of Basses Alpes, retains the traces of the name of this people. [G. L.] AL'BII, ALBA'NI MONTES (ra •'AA^io ifm, Strab. vii. p. 314 ; rh *KKScafhv 6pos, Ptol. ii. 14. § 1 ), was an eastern spur of Mount Carvancas, and the ter- mination of the Camic or Julian Alps on the confines of Illyricum. The Albii Montes dip down to the banks of the Saave, and connect Mount Carvancas with Mount Cetius, inclosing Aemona, and forming the southern boundary of Pannonia. [W. B. D.l ^;.
 * Concerning the forms, Latiaris and Latialis, see