Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 2.djvu/319

 1060 HEBNIGI. p. 102). An older comineiitAtor on Wvffl assigns them a ilarric origin (Schol. Veron. (tdA&uLc.), which comes to much the same thing, aa the Marsi were certainly cloaelj related to the Sabines. [Marsl] On the other hand, Jalioa Hjginos {ap. Macrob. t. 1 8) affirmed that the Hemicans were a Pelaagic race; and Macrobios regards the dcucrip- tion of their arm and attire given bj Vitigil as pointing to the eame conclusion. No value can, however, be attached to this inference : and the fonner tradition seems to be the best attested, as well as in itnelf the most probable. The peculiarly close relation which we find subsisting between the Hemicans and I>atins, probably arose fnnn their common interest in opposing their formidable nogh- bours, the Aequians and Volscians, rather than from any community of origin. The Hemicans first appear in Boman history in the reign of Tarqnuiius Snperbus, when, according to Dionysius, they excluded a treaty of alliance with that monarch, who sought to unite the Hemi* cans and Latins into one common league with Rome. (Dionys. iv. 49.) This fact is not noticed by Livy, but is not in itself improbable; and the alliance thus concluded may have been only the fbreranner of that which we know to have existed at a Uter period. An ancient tradition, indeed, not noticed by the historians, but preserved to us by Festus (i. v. SepHmontitan)f represents the Hemican chief, Laevins Cispius of Anagnia, as conducting a body of auxiliaries to Rome at a still earlier period. But it is probable that this legend, as so often happens in the early history of Rome, is chronologically mi»- placed. After the expulaion of the Tarquins, the Hemicans appear for a short time on terms of hoa- tility with Rome (Liv. ii. 2S, 40 ; Dionya. vl 5, 50) : but this state of thuags was soon terminated hy a treaty, which eatablished between the two nations those relations of amicable alliance which from this time subsisted for a. long period without interraption (Liv. ii. 41 ; Dionys. viii. 69). It is true that this treaty, which was concluded by Sp. Gaasius in b. c. 486, is represented by the Roman historians as granted to the Hemicans after they had been vanquished in war ; and Livy even tells us that they were deprived by it of two>thirds of their territory, but this appeare wholly inconsistent with the position in which we afteinvanis find them : and there is every probability that Dionysius is correct in stating that the treaty with the Hemicans was a counterpart of that concluded seven years before, by the same Sp Cassius, with the Latins. (Niebuhr, vol ii. p. 87.) The motive for both treaties was indeed obviously the same — the neces* sity of combining their forces agiunst the increasing power of the Aequians and Volscians. The latter people had already made themselves masters of the Hemican town of Ferentinum, and were threatening to drive the Hemicans from the whole valley of tiie Trerus. The statement of Livy already alluded to, may possibly, as suggested by Niebuhr, ha^'e arisen from a misconception of the fact that a third of all conquered lands, as well as of the booty taken in war, was thenceforth to be assigned to the Hemi- cans: a condition which is expressly stated by Dionysius (viii. 71, 77), and which shows that they entered into the league as an equal and independent power. From this time forth, during a period of mere than a century, they continued, in pursiuince of the terms of their alliance, to take part with tfie Romans and Latins in their long and continuous HERNICL struggle agmnst the Aequians and VoboiBi, nl they were even, from their positiott, oftoi the link to bear the brant of hostilities. (Liv. iiL 6; DionjL ix. 5, 67, X. 20.) But the relations which had so keg sobntci between the Hemicans and Bome, appear to hn been broken up by the great Gaulish invadioo ; nd soon after the capture of the city, in b. c 387, «« find the Hemicans as well as the Latins appcuing in arms against the republic, and even Maig m* sistanoe to their old enemies the Voladans. (LiT.n. 2, 6, 8, 11, 17, &C.) From thia time theysifar to have been sometimes in open hostili^ ; at otiMn a suspension of arma at least must hare taken plm; but in B. c. 361, after an interval of soow youi, during which a precarious peace aecms to Wi« existed, the whole Hemican nation took ap sm, and engaged with all thdr fiiroes in the itn^ with Bome. (Id. viL 6—9.) Thongb at fink see. ces^l, they were afterwards twice defeated bj tb Bomans, and the strong citf of Ferentiniun faikai ; but still the war seems to have lingered oo, tiO,iB B. c 358, we are told that Hie Heraienis «n defeated and subdued (" devicti subactique snat*)lT the consul C. Phratins. (Liv. vii. 15; Fmt Capit) The exact force of these expresdona, and the tow on which they were now reduced to anbmissica n are left to conjecture ; but it seems eertaia tbH they were either eflfectnally bnmUed, or sgna id- mitted to such Cavourable terma aa seemed Aob to the Boman alliance, for, even on oceaaioB of tbi great outbreak of the Latina in B. c. 340, the Hv> means did not follow their example, but were stnd- fiut to the Boman cause. At a later period tb^ were lees laithftil : in b. a 306, it was daoorcnd that Hemican auxiKaries had fought in the nob of the Samnites against Borne ; and an inveitigitifl being ordered by the senate, the Hemicans reMotei this interference, and declooned war agaimk Rone. Thar counsels were, however, divided; and thoi^ Anagnia, their chief city, put itself at the bad d the warlike party, the three powerful dties of Alf trium, Ferentinum, and Verulae reftued to tike part in hostilities. The oonseqaence was tbst tfai war was carried on with little spirit, and the ooonl Q. Marcius in a smgle campaign waa able to redon the whole people to subjection. (Liv. ix. 4S,4S; Fast. Gapit,) Their relations to ^he oonqDerai were now established on a permanent footing; Ai three cities that had taken no part in the war ven allowed to retain tiieur own 'laws and magististM, with the privilegea of mutual interoonne, vfaiii Anagnia, and the other towns that had taka arms against Bome, received the nomkial boos d the Boman civitas, but without the right of snfia^; their magistrates were deprived of all dvil jorisdic* tion, and they were reduced to the subordinate lad degraded condition of praefecturae. (Liv. L c Festus, V. Prwfwtura,) From this time the Hemicans disappear &<■ history. They must have obtained the fiill rigbtiflf Boman citizens by the Lex Julia in b. clK)^ lai became gradually mei^ged in that conditioo, ■ common with the Latins and Volsdaos. Bot though their territory was included in Lativm, is the sense in which that term was undenitood io tla days of Augustus, the Hemicans were still distiS' guishable as a separate people, and are mentioeed even at a later time as retaining many chanuto- istics of their rode and simple f<Hiefatherfc (Jo^- Sat. xjv. 180.) The exact limits of their tcrritoiT