Etymologies. 17 



Varro at least attempted to account for the initial 'c'. To 



Servius no such explanation would seem necessary. 



See Caulae. 



Casses, Cassus, Aen. 2, 85, cassiim est quasi quassum et nihil 



contincns; nam et vas quassum, quod humorem in se non 



conlinet et est vacuum, uncle et retia casses, quod multum 



in se vacui haheant. Aen. 11, 104, 'cassis' vacuis: unde 



et retia casses dicimus, et vestimenta araneorum casses 



dicuntur. 



cf. Non. p. 45, 9 M. cassum veteres inane posuerunt. Et 



arbitrandum est eius verbi proprietatem magis ab 



aranearum cassibus dictam, quod sint leves et nullius 



ponderis, non, ut quibusdam videtur, quasi quassum. 



Castor, G. 1, 58, castores autem a castrando dicti sunt. • 



O. Keller, Lateinisclie Volksetijmologie und Vo'wandtes, 

 p. 285, derives castrare from castor, citing an ancient belief 

 ( Cic . Ovid. Plin . Ju ven. Apule j . ) concerning the beaver. 'Also 

 castrare aliquem heisst einen nach Biberart behandeln, seine 

 opysfi zerstoeren'. 



Castra, Aen. 3, 519, dicta autem 'castra' quasi casta, vel 



quod illic castraretur libido: nam niinquam his intererat 



mulier. 

 Catus, Aen. 1, 423, id est ingeniosus a-u roO /.aUaOa'.. 



cf. Donat. ad Ter. Andr. V 2. 14, catus: callidus, doctus, 

 ardens, -«/>« to -/.aUv>. unde Cato dictus. ingeniorum 

 enim igneus vigor esse videtur. 

 Caulae, Aen. 9, 59, 'caulas' munimenta et saepta ovium. 



est enim Graecura nomen 'c' detracto: nam Graeci aoKa<i 



vocant animalium receptacula. 



Servius evidently means to connect 'caulas' and aold'^ 

 etymologically, not merely to point out an interesting co- 

 incidence in form. That the initial 'c' in the Latin word pre- 

 sented no serious diflSculty to him may be inferred from his 

 explanation of Caulon, Aen. 3, 553, 'Anion mons est Cala- 

 briae, etc.', and the comments on Cortina, Aen. 8, 92, and 

 Carcer, Aen. 1,54; 5, 145. 



