THE EARLY AGE OF GREECE VOL.I by W.Ridgeway 1901

''
I
vm.
WHO WERE THE MAKERS ? 255
of Locri {Jloruit 300 B.C.), seems to allude to them under
the form Borigini, among whom it was predicted that Aeneas
should settle. Cato* says that the chief part of the plain in
the land of the Volsci had formerly belonged to the Aborigines.
He also^ says that the Aborigines dwelt about Carseoli and
Reate and were driven thence by the Sabines, who had advanced
from Aquila^. Varro enumerates the names of their towns,
and says that their sites were still to be seen. Their capital,
Lista, had been taken by surprise, and, as the attempts which
they made to recover it for many years had proved fruitless,
they withdrew from that district down the Anio. The Siculi
were then in possession of Tibur, Antenmae, Ficulea, Tellena*,
Crustumerium and Aricia. These the Aborigines either
subdued or expelled. Varro said that the Aborigines had
joined the Pelasgians and aided them in driving
out the
Sicidi. After this the Pelasgians withdrew and dispersed.
The story of the alliance between the Aborigines and
Pelasgians is exactly what we have hnd in the case of the
country north of the Tiber, where we identified the Aborigines
with the Ligurians, and there is no reason why the same
should not have taken place in Latium, where remains similar
to th(; Terramare culture are also found. It accounts for
several api)arent difficulti(is in the statements. Certain writers
held that tlie
Aborigines wei'e Pelasgians ; others, like Cato
and Sempronius, said that the Aborigines
were Acheans.
Varro, as we saw, said that after the conquest of the Siculi
Pelasgians withdrew, 'i'his statement ])robably
the Pchisgians in no long time merged into the native;
tlie
means that
Ligui'iaii population. This they would do all the more i-eadily
as they were probably of the same stock as the Aborigines.
'
-
FiiiK. ()ri(i