Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 2.djvu/150

 PALEBIL Ctrnacan citj; and there is eren much reason to beliere that it was at that time one of the twelve cities which oeinpo«ed the Etruscan confederation. {EtruriAj p. 864.] Bat there is much difficulty with regard to its origin; manj ancient writers con- cnrring in representing the popolation as one different from the rest of the Etruscan nation. A tradition, adopted by Dionysias and Gato, ascribed to than an Argive or Pela^^ic origin; and the former anthor expressly teUs us that even in his day they retained some traces of this descent, and especially that the worship of Juno at Falerii was in many points si- milar to tiiat of the (araons Arrive Juno. (Dionys. i. 21; Cato, ap. Plin, iii. 5 s. 8; Steph. B. «.«. 4aAi<ricos.) The poets and mythograjdiers went a step further, and ascribed the direct foundation of Falerii to a certain Halesus or Haliscns, a son of Agamemnon, whoM name they connected with F»- liscus, the ethnic appellation of the inhabitants of Faleriu (Serv. ad Aen. Til 695; Ovid, Fast ir. 73, Amor. iii. 13, 31 ; Solin. 2. § 7.) Strabo speaks of the Faliscans (whom he represents as inhabiting two towns, Falerium and Faliscum) as, aoooiding to some authors, a peculiar people ^tinct from the Etruscans, and with a language of their own (t. p. 266); but this was certainly not the case in his day, when all this part of Etruria was completely Bcunanised. If any dependence can be placed on these statements they seem to indicate that Falerii, like Caere, was essentially Pelasgic in its origin; and that, though it had fallen, in common with the other dtaes of Southern Etruria, into the hands of the Etruscans properly so called, it still retained in an fl unusual degree its Pelasgic rites and customs, and even a Pelasgic diatect. But it is strange to find, on the other hand, that some points seem to connect the Faliscans more closely with the neighbouring Sabines: thus, the very same Juno who is identified with the Argive Hera, was worshipped, we are told, nnder the name of Juno Curitis or Quiritis, and re- presented as armed with a spear. (Tertull. Apol 24; Gruter, Itucr. p. 308. 1.) The four-faced Janus also (Janus Qoadrifrons), who was transferred from Fa- lerii to Rome (Serr. ad Aen. yii. 607.)t would seem to point to a Sabine connection : there is, at least, no other evidence of the worship of t^ deity in Etruria previous to the Roman conquest y Be this as it may, it is certain that during the historical period Falerii appears as a purely Etruscan city. It is first mentioned in Roman history in b. c 437, when the Falisci and Veientes lent their sup- port to the Fidenates in their revolt against Rome, «nd their combined forces were defeated by Cornelius Cossus. (Liv. iv. 17, 18.) From this period till the fall of Veil we find the Faliscans repeatedly sup- portuig the Veientes against Rome; and when the siee^e of Veil was at length regularly formed, they did thdr utmost to induce the other cities of Etruria to make a general effcMrt for its relief! Failing in this, as well as in their own attempts to raise the sieire, they found themselves after the capture of Veil exposed single-handed to the vengeance of the Romans, and their capital was besieged by CamiUna. The story of the schoolmaster and the generous con- duct of the Roman general u well known: it is pro- bable that this tale was meant to conceal the fisct that Falerii was not in reaUty taken, but the war terminated by a treaty, which is represented by the Roman historians as a **deditio" or surrender of their city. (Liv. t. 8, 13, 19; Plut. CamiU. 9, 10; Dionys. Fr.ifa»,xiiL 1,2; Diod. xiy. 96 ; Flor. L f9^ ^J*^/-C' ci^^. J^^j, TALERII. 891 12.) From this time the Faliscans continued on friendly terms with Rome till b. c. 356, when they j<uned their arms to the Tarquinians, but their allied forces were defeated by the dictator C. Marcius Ru- tilus; and the Faliscans appear to have obtained a fresh treaty, and renewed their friendly relations with Rome, which continued unbroken for more than 60 years from Uiis time. But in b. c. 293 we find them once more joining in the general war of the Etruscans against Rome. They were, however, quickly reduced by the consul Ganrilius, and though they obtained at the time only a truce for a year, this appean to have led to a permanent peace. (Liv. vii. 16, 17,2.46, 47; Diod.zvi. 31; Frontin. 5/rat ii. 4.) We have no account of the terms on which this was granted, or of the relation m which they stood to Rome, and we are wholly at a loss to un- derstand the circumstance, that, after the close of the First Punic War, in b.c. 241, long after the submissian of the rest of Etruria, and when the Ro- man power was established without dispute through- out the Italian peninsula, the Faliscans yentued single-handed to defy the anns of the Republic The contest, as might be expected, was brief: not- withstanding the strength of their city, it was taken in six days; and, at once to punish them for Uiis rebellian, and to render all such attempts hopeless for the future, they were compelled to abandon their ancient city, which was in a very strong position, and establish a new one on a site easy ot access. (Liv. EpU. xix.; Pd. i. 65; Zonar. viiL 18; Oros. iv. 11; Entrop. ii. 28.) This circumstance, which is mentiwed only by Zonaras, is important as showing that the existing ruins at Sta. Afaria (R FaUeri cannot occupy the site of the ancient Etruscan city, the position of which must be sought elsewhere. The few subse- quent notices in history must also refer to this second or Roman Falerii; and it was here that a colony was established by the triumvirs which assumed the tide of ** Colonia Junonia Faliscorum," or " Colonia Falisca." (Plin. iii. 5. s. 8 ; Lib, Colotu p. 217; Gruter, Inter, p. 288. 1.) It does not, however, appear to have ever risen into a place of importance; and, notwithstandmg its cognomen of Junonia, it is evident that the ancient temple of Juno on the site of the abandoned dty was that which continued to attract the votaries of religion. (Ovid, Amor, iii. 13. 6.) The period of its complete decay is unknown. The Tabula still notices *< Faleros " (by which the Roman town is cvtainly meant) as situated 5 miles from Nepe, on the road to Ameria; and it retained its episcopal see as late as the 11th century. But in the middle ages the advantages of strength and security again attracted the population to the origi- nal site; and thus a fresh city grew up on the ruins of the Etruscan Falerii, which ultimately obtained the name of Cwita Ca»UUana. (Nibby, IHntomi di Ronta, voL ii. pp. 23—26.) The site of the Ro- man Falerii (which was about 4 miles distant from Ciffita Cattellantiy and 5 from Nepi) is now wholly deserted, with the exception of a single farm-house, and an ancient ruinud church, still caiUed Sta, Maria di FaUeri, But a large portion of the ancient walls, with then: gates and towers, still remains; and though obvbusly not of very early date, they have contri- buted to the mistake of several modem writers, who have not paid sufficient attention to the distinctim between tiie earlier and later Falerii, and have thus regarded the existing remains at Faileri as those of the oelebratod Etruscan dty. But all acoonnta "^'V /^^ /*>. A / >, >' /. .♦ r --l^'i?
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