1854.] 



POINTS CONNECTED WITH THE EARLY HISTORY OF ROME. 



215 



us in treating the Sabello-Oscan as a separate language from the 

 Umbrian, though not on the same level with it, as a pure speci- 

 men of an original Italian tongue. (See Varronianus, chapter 

 IV, § 1.) 



Again, in the Roman language, we find many traces of an 

 element derived from Etruria, and exhibiting a direct connec- 

 tion with Pclasgic idiom on the one side, and on the other with 

 the oldest Low German or Scandinavian dialects. This is a part 

 of our inquiry which will be attended with especial difficulty, in 

 consequence of the imperfect state of Etruscan philology, and 

 the deficiency of materials upon which to base a general conclu- 

 sion with any likelihood of complete truth. 



Lastly, we have still preserved to us some interesting remains 

 of the old Roman language — the offspring of the Umbrian, Os- 

 can, and Tuscan — as it was in its rude youth, before the influence 

 of Greek literature had melted down the rugged Satitrnian 

 verse into the flowing cadence of the Homeric hexameter. 

 Macaulay, in his preface to his exquisite Lays of Ancient Rome, 

 has shown how the old literature was extinguished under the 

 growing prevalence of foreign fashions. The consequence is, 

 that our preserved remains of genuine early Roman records are 

 but scanty, and relate chiefly to religion and law. The language 

 of the Scipios, as exhibited in a series of famous epitaphs, differs 

 but little from the classical style of the Augustan age, and shows 

 that we are drawing near to a period when the conquered Greek 

 had re-conquered his savage conqueror; and the triumph of 

 Athenian verse and Athenian art had showed that Greece was 

 still to rule the mind of the world, though the Roman sword 

 might hew its way to a grander empire than Pericles had ever 

 dreamed. 



It will be interesting to examine in detail some specimens of 

 each of the component elements of the Latin language, as well' 

 as of the earliest form of the Roman language itself. Such an 

 investigation will enable us to trace the affinities of the present 

 classical Latin language; while, at the same time, we shall obtain 

 some insight into the civil and religious character of those an- 

 cient tribes from -whom sprung the conquerors of the world — 

 the ancestors of Cicero, Virgil, and Livy; of Scipio, Caesar, and 

 Pompey. 



I. The Umbrian Language. 



The Eugubine Tables, which present us with a specimen of 

 the old Umbrian language, were discovered in the year 1444 in 

 the neighbourhood of Gubbio (the ancient Iguvium). On the 

 mountain which rose above the city stood the temple of Jupiter 

 Appenninus — whence the city derives its name: Iguvium, 

 Umbrian Jiovium = Jovium == Aiov, Aios ir6\ts. The Tables 

 relate chiefly to matters of religion. The elucidation of these 

 memorials of this indigenous Italian language is due to the ex- 

 ertions of Lepsius, Lassen, Aufrecht, and Kirchoff, from whom 

 the chapter in Donaldson's Varronianus is mainly compiled. 

 Within our present limits we must content ourselves with a brief 

 selection, suited to show some of the characteristics of the Um- 

 brian language. The following passage is taken from the first 

 Eugubine Table, as quoted .by Donaldson, who supplies the 

 translation of the original into Latin : — 



Umbrian Inscription. 

 Tab. 1, a. 



2. Pre-veres treplanes, 



3. Juve Krapuvi tre [f] buf 



fetie, arvia ustentu, 



Latin Translation. 



2. Ante portam Treblanam 



3. Jovi Grabovio tres boves 



facito, arvina ostendito, 



4. Vatuva ferine feitu, heris 



vinu, heri [s] puni, 



5. Ukriper Fisiu, tutaper Iku- 



vina, feitu sevum, 



6. Kutef pesnimu ; arepes arves. 



4. Fatua ferina facito, vel 

 - vino, vel pane, 

 Pro monte Fisio, pro c'tvi- 

 tate Iguvina, facito severe, 

 Caute precator, adipes ad- 

 vehens. 



5. 



The inscription is thus rendered into English by Donaldson: 

 " Before the gate by which the treble enter, saciifice three oxen 

 to Jupiter Grabovius, offer up the hard fat, sacrifice with unsalted 

 meal, either with wine or bread, for the Fisian mount, for the 

 city of Iguvium, sacrifice reverently, pray cautiously, holding forth 

 the soft fat (of the victims)." 



In this inscription it is easy to recognise the original of many 

 Latin words. It may simplify the proof of this fact if we exhibit 

 the Umbrian words with their corresponding Latin representa- 

 tives in a tabular form, while we refer to Donaldson's elaborate 

 criticism for a more complete analysis of their forms: 



Latin. 



Umbrian. 

 pre. 

 veres, abl. plural of 



verus. 

 treplanes. 



Krapuvius. 



tre. 



tres or tribus 



buf. 



; ioves or bobus. 



feitu [or fetu). 



facito. 



arvia. 



irvina. 



ustentu. 



ibstineto. 



vatuva ferina. 



fatua. farina. 



heris vinu heris 



vel vino vel pane. 



puni. 





ocriper Fisiu. 



pro monte Fisio. 



tota per Ikuvina. 



sevum. kutif. 

 adipes arves. 



prse. 

 foribus. 



trebla. 



Gra-bovius. 



Noticed by Cato(R. R. e. 135) 

 as a rustic carriage. The 

 gates are designated, as in 

 other cases, with reference 

 to the species of carriage ad- 

 mitted at them. 



May be compared with Gra- 

 divus, but the etymology is 

 uncertain. 



Etymologists are uncertain 

 whether to refer these words 

 to the accusative or ablative 

 case. Both constructions 

 would be admissible. 



Compare ditu for dicito. 



The old Latin for ostendito. 



Heris derived from Sanscrit 

 root hir, ahand=particle of 

 choice. So vet, from root of 

 volo. 



Ocris occurs in Greek wcpir. 

 Hence the names of some 

 Umbrian towns Ocriculum 

 and Interocrea. Fisius— 

 Fidius Sancus, the old Ita- 

 lian name of Jupiter. 



Tota (tuta) connected with the 

 adj. totus, the idea of a city 

 being that of completeness. 

 So the Greek n6Ms con- 

 nected with tt6\us. 



In both these words tho prep. 

 &T.=ad appears, as it com- 

 monly does in familiar Latin. 

 The termination eis or es 

 appears to be that of the 

 Umbrian participle. 



The remaining materials of the Umbrian language are tole- 

 rably copious, and have enabled philologers to form a fair con- 

 jecture of the declensions and conjugations of the nouns and 

 verbs. The specimen already given is" sufficient to show us the 

 main points of resemblance between the Umbrian and the fami- 

 liar Latin; though it must be confessed that the difficulties still 

 besetting an explanation of the Umbrian philology must lead us 

 to be cautious in applying these investigations to the support of 



pro civitate Iguvina 



severe, caute. 

 adipes advehens. 



