430 flint's natural HISTORY. [Book XVI. 



inaccessible forests in some parts of the world. In relation, 

 however, to those, the date of which is still within the me- 

 mory of man, there are some olive-trees still in existence at 

 Liternum, which were planted by the hand of the first 

 Scipio Africanus, as also a myrtle there of extraordinary size ; 

 beneath them there is a grotto, in which, it is said, a dragon 

 keeps watch over that hero's shade. There is a lotus 56 tree 

 in the open space before the Temple of Lucina at Eome, which 

 was built in the year of the City 379, a year in which the 

 republic had no 57 magistrates. How much older the tree is 

 than the temple, is a matter of doubt ; but that it is older is 

 quite certain, for it was from that same grove that the goddess 

 Lucina 58 derived her name ; the tree in question is now about 

 four hundred and fifty years old. The lotus tree, which is 

 known as the Capillata, is still older than this, though it is 

 uncertain what is its age; it received that name from the 

 circumstance of the Vestal Virgins suspending locks of their 

 hair 59 from it. 



CHAP. 86. TREES AS OLD AS THE CITY. 



There is another lotus in the Yulcanal, 60 which Romulus 

 erected with the tenth part of the spoil taken from the enemy : 

 according to Massurius, it is generally considered to be as old 

 as the City. The roots of this tree penetrate as far as the 

 Forum of Caesar, right across the meeting-places of the muni- 

 cipalities. 61 There was a cypress of equal age growing with it 

 till towards the latter part of Nero's reign, when it fell to the 

 ground, and no attempts were made to raise it again. 



CHAP. 87. TREES IN THE SUBURBAN DISTRICTS OLDER THAN THE 



CITY. 



Still older than the City is the holm-oak that stands on the 

 Vaticanian Hill : there is an inscription in bronze upon it, 

 written in Etruscan characters, which states that even in those 



56 The Celtis australis of Linnaeus. 



57 In consequence of the disputes between the patricians and plebeians. 



58 Thus deriving Lucina from " lucus," a grove. 



59 Capillos. 60 An area before the temple of V ulcan. 



6i « Stationes municipiorum." A sort of exchange, near the Forum, 

 where the citizens met to discuss the topics of the day. 



