SAB 
SABINE, a river of North America, which takes its rise 
in the extensive plains to the north-west of Natchitoches, 
in about the 33d degree of north lat., and flows into the gulf 
of Mexico, in long. 93. 57. W. lat. 29. 50. N. According 
to the claim of the Americans, it forms the boundary between 
their territories and the Spanish dominions; but the Spaniards 
claim an extension of territory to the river Mermentau or 
Mexicana. It is about a quarter of a mile wide at its dis¬ 
charge into the gulf, and maintains that breadth six miles, 
when it dilates into a wide shallow lake, called Sabine Lake, 
30 miles in length, by eight in breadth; its depth not ex¬ 
ceeding at a medium 3 feet. Above the lake the Sabine is 
contracted to a stream of about 200 yards wide, with an 
excessively winding channel. Ten miles above the lake deep 
woods inclose both banks of the river; but in other parts of 
its banks the land is in general good, and fit for agriculture. 
It is navigable 280 miles. 
SABINES, Sabini, a people who were for a long time con¬ 
siderable in Italy. Authors have suggested a variety of ety¬ 
mologies in accounting for their name. Pliny and Festus 
have ascribed it to their worship of the gods, ano rov crefiicTai. 
But in this appellation there is nothing that discriminates 
them from other neighbouring nations. If Portius Cato and 
Dionysius Halicarnassensis are to be credited, they took their 
name from Sabinus, the son of Sancus, or Sabus, whom they 
worshipped under the name of Dius Fidius. According to 
Varro, Sancus, in the language of the Sabines, was equiva¬ 
lent to Hercules in Greek. Sancus was the principal deity of 
the Sabines, and probably one of their deified heroes, and of 
Umbrian or Etruscan extraction. M. Gebelin, ascribing 
their origin to the ancient nation of Umbria, where the Celtic 
language prevailed, suggests that, in this language, sad signi¬ 
fies high or elevated, and thatthey were thus denominated as 
the inhabitants of high places, as the Orobii are called men of 
the mountains. According to some ancient writers, the Sa¬ 
bines, as some have supposed, were a colony of Lacedaemo¬ 
nians ; and others conjecture, that they were the offspring of 
the Ausones But it is most probable that they originated 
from Umbria. From them, however, were descended the 
Picentes, Frontani, Marrucini,Peligni, Vestini, Marsi, iEqui, 
Hernici, and (he Samnites; and from the Samnites, the Hir- 
pini, Lucani, Brutii, and Campani. 
The country of the Sabines lay between the Nar and the 
Anio, now the Teverone; the former separating it from Um¬ 
bria, and the latter from Latiurn. Cures, whence the Ro¬ 
mans are said to have been called Quirites, was, at first, the 
metropolis of the Sabini, and in succeeding ages Reate, now 
Rieti. The mines of Cures are still to be seen at a place 
called Vicovio di Sabini. The other cities in this country 
worthy of notice, were Nursia, Eretum, Nomentum, Cu- 
tffiae, and Amiternum ; now known by the names of Norcia, 
Monte, Rolondo, and Lamenturio. The cities of Cutilias 
and Amiternum, have long since been destroyed; but the 
ruins of the former still remain at Civita Ducale, and those 
of the latter near the city of Aquila. The Sabines extended 
themselves from the heights of the Apennines, by their co¬ 
lonies, to the southern parts of Italy, and established them¬ 
selves on the left of the Anio, where, according to Livy, they 
possessed a town called Collatia. Their original country 
was bounded on the north by Umbria and Picenum; on the 
south by Latium ; on the west by part of Umbria and 
Etruria; and on the east by the territories of the Picentes, 
Vestini, and Marsi. Its length was computed to be 1000 
stadia, or 125 miles, according to Strabo. The Picentes, 
Samnites, Lucanians, and Brutians, deduced their origin 
from the Sabines. The Picentes, in particular, seem to have 
been placed at first in a district between the Nar and the 
Anio. As for the Samnites, they were, in the earliest times, 
called Saunites, or Sabinites, derived evidently from Sabines. 
That the Lucanians and Brutians were originally Sabine 
colonies, we learn from Strabo, lib. v. 
The government, laws, language, arts, manners, and reli¬ 
gion of the Sabines, must have been generally almost the same 
with those of the Umbrians and Etruscans, from one or both 
of which nations they were undoubtedly descended. With 
Vol. XXII. No. 1519. 
SAB 
513 
respect to religion, however, some peculiarities prevailed 
among the Sabines; one of which was the high honour and 
adoration paid to Sancus, whom the Sabines considered as 
the chief deity of their country. Jupiter and Juno Curis 
were likewise distinguished deities amongst them. So was 
also Vacuna, supposed by some to be the same with Diana, 
by others with Ceres, by others with Venus; but, according 
to Varro, she was the goddess of wisdom. The worship of 
these divinities passed from the Sabines to the Romans; and 
this is no matter of surprise, since the coalition of the Ro¬ 
man and Sabine nations, even in the time of Romulus, 
must, of course, have introduced into Rome the Sabine 
religion. 
Among the principal cities of the Sabines, may be ranked 
the following ; viz. Fidenae, situated on the Tiber, about 
40 stadia from Rome; Crustumerium, north of Fidense; Fi- 
culea, at a small distance from the two former towns; Cor- 
niculum, north of Ficulea; Collatia, on the borders of La¬ 
tium, and the country of the Sabines, between the Praenes- 
tine way and the left bank of the Anio, about six miles from 
Rome; Nomentum one of the most considerable Sabine 
cities, 10 miles from Rome; Eretum, on the Tiber, about 
10 miles from Rome; Regillum, near the Tiber; Cures, 
or Curis, anciently the capital of the Sabines; Casperia, 
now Aspra; Fanum Vacunse, now Vacuna or Vacune; 
Reate, 15 miles from the last-mentioned town, built by the 
Aborigines, or Umbrians, the progenitors of the Sabines 
Palatium, or Palantum, about 25 stadia west of Reate 
Trebula, upon an eminence, about 60 stadia from Reate, 
Vescola; Suna; Mesula; Orvinium; Corsula; all of which 
were towns built by the Aborigines: Issa, an island and 
town, environed by a lake, and Maruviun, situated upon that 
lake; Vatia; Tiora; Lista; Cutilia, or Cotyle, about 70 
stadia from Reate, situated on a mountain, and near a lake of 
the same name; Amiternum, a famous city of the Sabines, in 
the time of the Aborigines; Testrina; Nursia, or Norica; 
Tarinum;—also, Antemnffi, Crenina, Cameria, Medullia, and 
Ameriola, placed by Cluverius among the Sabine towns, but 
really belonging to the Latins. We shall here add, that the 
country of the Sabines corresponded to that tract of country, 
which, at present, forms a part of the duchy of Spoleto, and 
the farther Abruzzo. 
The chief mountains of the Sabine territory were the 
Mons Tetricus, now Monte di S. Giovanni; Mons Severus, 
now Monte Negro ; Mons Piscellus, a part of the Apennines, 
out of which issue the Nar; the Montes Gurgures, near 
Reate; the Mons Canterius; Mons Matela, now Monte 
Genaro; Mons Sacer, near the Anio, and not far from 
Rome; and the Mons Coritus, placed by some in Etruria. 
The principal rivers of this tract are the Nar or Nera; the 
Velinus, or Velino; the Telonius, now the Turano ; the 
Himella, now the L’Aja; the Farfarus, now the Farfa; 
the Allia, now the Rio di Mosso; the Turia; the Anio; the 
Veresis; the Digentia, now the Rio del Sole; and the 
Avens; all which rivers discharged themselves into the 
Tiber. The lakes of this country are Lacus Cutiliensis, now 
II Pozzo Retignano, and Lacus Velinus, now Lago die Pie 
di Luco. 
The history of the Sabines, previous to the foundation of 
Rome, is so blended with fables, that it is undeserving the 
attention of the judicious reader. It is incorporated with 
that of the latter nation. We may form some judgment of the 
political importance of the Sabines, if we advert to the cha¬ 
racter given of them by Cicero, at the close of the Roman 
republic, who calls them “ robur reipubliese,” the strength 
or stay of the republic. Anc. Un. Hist. vol. ix. x. 
SABINE PRAIRIE, a track of meadow ground in 
Louisiana, which occupies all the space between the Sabine, 
and the Calcasiu rivers. Near the shore this province is an 
extensive marsh ; but on receding from the gulf, the surface 
gradually rises, and before reaching the woods much high 
land is found. The soil is, like that of the adjacent woods, 
almost all sterile. 
SABINEZ, a small village of Mexico, in -America, situ¬ 
ated on the Rio del Norte. 
6 P SABINO. 
