LATITUDINARIAN LATONA. 



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the celestial equator anil the zenith, or, in other words, 

 by the complement of the altitude of the equator ; 

 and, as the complement of the altitude of the equator 

 is the altitude of the pole, the latitude of a place is 

 equal to the altitude of the pole at that place. 

 Places situated in the equator itself have neither 

 latitude nor altitude, because their two poles lie in 

 the horizon. Korean the latitude of a place be more 

 than 90, because the altitude can never exceed 90, 

 that is to say, because the pole, at the most, can only 

 be in the zenith itself. Latitudes, together with 

 longitudes (q. v.), serve to fix the situation of places 

 on the globe, and their distance from each other. 

 The determination of local positions is the founda- 

 tion of geography, and of the correct projection of 

 maps. In astronomy, latitude is used to signify the 

 distance of a heavenly body from the ecliptic, which 

 distance is measured by the arc of a great circle 

 (circle of latitude), perpendicular to the ecliptic, 

 which is intercepted between the ecliptic and the 

 body. Here, also, latitude is north and south. A 

 heavenly body in the ecliptic has no latitude, for 

 which reason the sun has no latitude, and that of the 

 planets is very small. The latitude of a heavenly 

 body can never exceed 90. It is determined by the 

 right ascension and declination. The latitude of stars 

 is laid down in the list of the fixed stars. An exten- 

 sive list of the geographical latitudes of places is 

 contained in the Berlin Collection of Astronomical 

 Tables, vol. i. p. 43, et seq. 



Heliocentric latitude of a planet, is its latitude or 

 distance from the ecliptic, such as it would appear 

 from the sun. This, when the planet comes to the 

 same point of its orbit, is always the same, or un- 

 changeable. 



Geocentric latitude of a planet, is its latitude as 

 seen from the earth. This, though the planet be in 

 the same point of its orbit, is not always the same, 

 but alters according to the position of the earth in 

 respect to the planet. The latitude of a star is altered 

 only by the aberration of light, and the secular 

 variation of latitude. 



LATITUDINARIAN, among divines, denotes a 

 person of moderation with regard to religious opinions, 

 in contradistinction to the rigid adherents to particu- 

 lar doctrines. This name was first given, by way of 

 distinction, to those excellent persons, in England, 

 who, about the middle and towards the close of the 

 sevententh century, endeavoured to allay the contests 

 that prevailed between the more violent Episcopalians 

 on the one hand, and the more rigid Presbyterians 

 and Independents on the other, and also between the 

 Arminians and Calvinists. At present, it generally 

 denotes one who departs, in opinion, from the strict 

 principles of orthodoxy. 



LATIUM ; the principal country of ancient Italy, 

 and the residence of the Latins. The limits, which 

 appear to have been changed at different periods, are 

 generally represented to be the Tiber on the north, 

 and the promontory of Circeii (Monte Circello) on 

 the south ; but this is probably too extensive. Ac- 

 cording to Strabo, there were, besides the Latins, 

 Rutuli, Volsci, Hernici, and ./Equi in this- region. 

 The actual extent of Latium, at the time of the 

 building of Rome, may have amounted, at the most, 

 to about forty-six miles in diameter, and the actual 

 boundaries were j robably the Tiber on the west, the 

 Anio on the north, mount Algidum on the east, and, 

 on the south, the city of Ardea, which was situated 

 at the distance of 160 stadia from Rome. Latium 

 afterwards extended to the river Liris (Garigliano), 

 but the northern and eastern boundaries remained 

 the same. In the earliest times, there was a large 

 laurel grove situated on tho coast, at the mouth of 

 the Tiber, which extended as far as the city of Lau- 



rentum. This grove not only gave the name to the 

 city, but also to the surrounding country, which was 

 hence called Laurentinus ager, and the inhabitnnts 

 were styled Laurentes. This grove is said to have 

 been standing in the time of the emperor Commodus. 

 Between the Tiber and the city of Laurentum was 

 the place where ./Eneas pitched his camp, which bore 

 the name of Troy. To the eastward of this place, 

 twenty-four stadia from the Tiber, was the city of 

 Laurentum. Farther on, lay the little river Numicus 

 and the sources of the Juturna ; and still farther to 

 the east, was situated the city of Lavinium. Beyond 

 the sources of the Numicus and the Juturna, was the 

 mountain upon which, thirty years after the building 

 of Lavinium, was placed the city of Alba Longa. 

 Behind this, towards the Hernici, lay Aricia ; still 

 farther above, in the extreme north-easterly corner 

 of Latium, was the city of Prasneste ; towards the 

 northern extremity of the same province, was the 

 city of Tibur, and between these two cities and Rome, 

 were Gabii and Tusculum. All these cities were 

 colonies of Alba Longa. The first colony of the 

 Romans was Ostia, established by Ancus Martins, 

 below Rome. In the time of the Romans, Latium 

 was very thinly inhabited ; and, 100 years after the 

 building of Rome, complaints began to be made on 

 account of the desolation of the country and its 

 unhealthy atmosphere. With the enormous wealth 

 which the Romans acquired from the conquest of 

 Greece and Asia, villas, which contained great num- 

 bers of slaves, were built in this desolate region, and 

 the air was thus rendered somewhat healthier. In 

 this way cities and villages sprang up around Rome, 

 which were afterwards deserted and destroyed. The 

 rivers of Latium were the Tiber, the Liris, the Anio, 

 Numicus, Ufens, Amasenus, and Almo. The Ufens 

 flowed through the Pontine marshes. These marshes 

 were known from the earliest times, and extended 

 between the rivers Ufens and Nymphseus to a great 

 distance. There were also some lakes in Latium, of 

 which lake Regillus was the principal. The moun- 

 tains of this province were, with few exceptions (as, 

 for example, the Alban mountain and mount Algidum) 

 merely hills. For a minute description of this region, 

 see the Description of Latium, with twenty engrav- 

 ings ; and a map of the Campagna di Roma, London, 

 quarto ; and Cramer's Description of Ancient Italy, 

 Oxford, 1826. 



The Latin right (jus Latii) originally belonged to 

 the Latin allies of Rome, but was afterwards extended 

 to some other states on their accession to the alliance. 

 The members of these states were not enrolled among 

 the Roman citizens, but had a census of their own. 

 They were required to raise auxiliary troops, which 

 did not serve in the Roman legion, but as a separate 

 force. They had the right of voting at Rome, but 

 under certain limitations, and they elected their own 

 magistrates. All who enjoyed neither the Roman 

 citizenship (civitas Romano), nor the Latin right, 

 were called foreigners (peregrini). 



LATONA (by the Greeks called \ru, in the Doric 

 dialect Axru), daughter of Coeus and Phoebe (accord- 

 ing to some, of Saturn), became the mother of Apollo 

 and Diana by Jupiter. During her pregnancy, she 

 was persecuted by Juno, by whose command the 

 dragon Pytho threatened her everywhere with death 

 and ruin, and the earth was not permitted to allow 

 her a place for her delivery. After long wanderings, 

 she found rest on the island of Delos (q. v.), which 

 rose from the sea to receive her. The giant Tif.yus, 

 having attempted to offer her violence, was killed by 

 Apollo and Diana. According to another fable, this 

 Slant was struck dead by Jupiter, with lightning, be- 

 fore her pregnancy. Jupiter changed too some Lycian 

 peasants into frogs, because they would not permit her 

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