Ancient Rome and Modern Italy 31 



father's legionaries gave it to him as a little boy because he used 

 to wear a child-size imitation of the heavy hob-nailed sandals of 

 the common soldier. 145 The historian Tacitus tells us of a bru- 

 tal centurion whom the soldiers dubbed Cedo alteram, "Bring 

 another", because when he had broken one vine-stick on a man's 

 back, he would thus call for another, and then another. 146 



Pride in the noble history of their country has led Italians to 

 adopt the names of many historical and legendary personages. 

 They are not always, however, accurately bestowed. Thus — so 

 I have been assured on excellent authority — at Pratica di Mare, 

 the village which occupies the supposed site of Lavinium, the 

 first settlement of the Trojans in Latium, mothers are prone to 

 name their boy baby Didone, believing it to be a masculine word, 

 and their girl baby Enea, which is, seemingly, a good feminine 

 form. Irreverent school-boys in our land might think the inter- 

 change appropriate as they recall the ready tearfulness of pius 

 Aeneas and the heroic end of Dido. 147 



Twenty centuries ago Italians were more leisurely about naming 

 a new member of the family. As we have already noted, daugh- 

 ters commonly waited until the eighth day, sons to the ninth. I 

 have been interested to find that in Venice an eight-day anonymity 

 has been — at any rate, at one period — the custom for newborn 

 children. We may note, finally, that the Romans made naming- 

 day an occasion for purification ceremonies, and there would be 

 a jolly family party at which the infant might receive presents. 

 All this is, in a slight way, an anticipation of modern baptismal 

 celebrations. 



In view of the important role which suffixes play in modifying 

 the meanings of Italian words, the reader may be interested to 

 know that the old Romans had already converted ordinary names 

 into expressions of affection by giving them significant endings. 

 So Julia became Julietta as a name of endearment, and we also 

 find Gallitta and even Livilitta. Italians have therefore, ex- 

 cellent precedents when they ring into an infant's ears such af- 

 fectionate diminutives as, bellillo, ninnillo, titillo, titiriniello, as 

 well as make more musical even his own baptismal name. 148 



The special nourishment of mother and baby may now engage 

 our attention. In these days when we hear so much about al- 

 lergies, it is interesting to find an Italian superstition that before 



