202 PLINY's K^ATURAL niSTOEY. [Book III. 



Telesiui^ the Trebulani, surnained Balinienses^, the Tre- 

 bani^, the Tusculani'*, the Verulani^, the Veliterni'^, the 

 Ulubrenses^, the Urbinates^, and, last and greater than 

 all, Eome herself, whose other name^ the hallowed mysteries 

 of the sa'ored rites forbid us to mention without being guilty 

 of the greatest impiety. After it had been long kept buried 

 in secresy with the strictest fidelity and in respectful and 

 salutary silence, Valerius Soranus dared to divulge it, but 

 soon did he pay the penalty^" of his rashness. 



It will not perhaps be altogether foreign to the purpose, 

 if I here make mention of one peculiar institution ol our 

 forefathers which bears especial reference to the inculcation 

 of silence on religious matters. The goddess Angerona", 

 to whom sacrifice is ofifered on the twelfth day before the 

 calends of January [21st December], is represented in her 

 statue as having her mouth bound with a sealed fillet. 



E-omulus left the city of E-ome, if we are to believe those 



^ The people of Telesia, a town of Samnium seven leagues from Capua, 

 now called Telese. 



2 Trebula was distinguished probably by this surname from a town 

 of that name in Samnium. Tlieve seem to have been two places of the 

 name in the Sabine territory, but it is not known which is here meant. The 

 ruins of one of them are supposed to be those not far from Maddaloni. 



3 The people of Treba, now Trevi, a town of Latium. 



•* The people of Tuscvilum, an ancient town of Latium, the ruins of 

 which are to be seen on a hill about two miles distant from the modern 

 Frascati. Cicero's favoiu-ite residence was his Tusculan viUa, and Cato 

 the censor was a native of this place. 



^ The people of Verulse, a town of the Hemici, in Latium, now YeroH. 



^ The people of Yehtrse, an ancient town of the Yolsci, now Yelletri. 

 It was the birth-place of the emperor Augustus. 



" The people of Ulubrse, a small town of Latium, near the Pomptine 

 Marshes ; its site is unknown. 



^ The people of Urbinum ; there were two places of that name in 

 Umbria, now called Urbeno and Urbania. 



^ The name probably by which the city was called in the mystical 

 language of the priesthood. It has been said that this mysterious name 

 of Kome was Yalentia ; if so, it appears to be only a translation of her 

 name Grsecized — "Pwju?;, " strength." This subject will be found agaui 

 mentioned in B. xxviii. c. 4. 



^^ Sohnus says that he was put to death as a punishment for his rash- 

 ness. M. Sichcl has suggested that this mysterious name was no other 

 than Angerona. 



^^ It is not known whether this mystical divinity was the goddess of 

 anguish and fear, or of silence, or whether she was the guardian deity of 



