430 
PLINY's NATUEAL IIISTOIIY. 
[Book XVI. 
inaccessible forests in some parts of the world. In relation, 
however, to those, the date of which is still within the me- 
mory of man, there are some olive-trees still in existence at 
Liternum, which were planted by the hand of the first 
Scipio Africanus, as also a myrtle there of extraordinary size ; 
beneath them there is a grotto, in which, it is said, a dragon 
keeps watch over that hero's shade. There is a lotus tree 
in the open space before the Temple of Lucina at Rome, which 
was built in the year of the City 379, a year in which the 
republic had no^^ magistrates. How much older the tree is 
than the temple, is a matter of doubt ; but that it is older is 
quite certain, for it was from that same grove that the goddess 
Lucina^ ^ derived her name ; the tree in question is now about 
four hundred and fifty years old. The lotus tree, which is 
known as the Capillata, is still older than this, though it is 
uncertain what is its age ; it received that name from the 
circumstance of the Yestal Virgins suspending locks of their 
hair^^ from it. 
CHAP. 86. TEEES AS OLD AS THE CITY. 
There is another lotus in the Yulcanal,^^ which Eomulus 
erected with the tenth part of the spoil taken from the enemy : 
according to Massurius, it is generally considered to be as old 
as the City. The roots of this tree penetrate as far as the 
Eorum of Csesar, right across the meeting-places of the muni- 
cipalities.^^ There was a cypress of equal age growing with it 
till towards the latter part of J^ero's reign, when it fell to the 
ground, and no attempts were made to raise it again. 
CHAP. 87. TEEES IN THE SUBUEBAN DISTEICTS OLDEE THAN THE 
CITY. 
Still older than the City is the holm-oak that stands on the 
Yaticanian Hill : there is an inscription in bronze upon it, 
written in Etruscan characters, which states that even in those 
^6 The Celtis australis of Linnaeus. 
^'^ In consequence of the disputes between the patricians and plebeians. 
Thus deriving Lucina from " lucus," a grove. 
^9 Capillos. An area before the temple of Yulcim. 
61 " Stationes municipiorum." A sort of exchange, near the Forum, 
where the citizens met to discuss the topics of the day. 
