Zeus : a study in ancient religion - Warburg Institute

Diana's tree at Nemi 421
a priest of Virbius is mentioned in an inscription at Naples', and
there was a Clivus Virbius in the immediate vicinity of an ancient
Dianium at Romel Servius' statement that Diana was transferred
from Aricia to Sparta^ leads me to suggest that at a comparatively-
late date Virbius, the associate of Diana Nemorensis, was attached
to Artemis OrtJita also. Vibius Sequester actually gives Virbius as
the name of a Laconian river'*. And Pausanias says that the image
of Artemis OrtJiia was found by Astrabakos and Alopekos the sons
of Irbos. He adds that Irbos was the son of Amphisthenes, son of
Amphikles, son of Agis'. I suspect that Irbos is a late Grecised form
of Virbius ; and in his forbears ^ ;/z///zsthenes and Amphik\&s I find
a hint of his Janiform nature*. The connexion of Virbius with
Artemis Orthia would be doubly appropriate if, as is certainly
possible, the Greek OrtJiia was the older phonetic equivalent of the
Latin Virbius'^ both names being akin to the word arbor^. On this
not believe in the power of devils, and was only too glad to get his love again, and so
signed the contract, as she did also. And they lived happily indeed for many years ; but
years must end, and so it came to pass that when the time of the contract expired both
died at once. And all at once there was an awful storm over all the land, the heavens
grew dark by day, and horrible fires flashed out of the darkness, and amid the storm was
| |
For
heard a voice which sang:—
" 'Women, learn to love One true love, and truly;
you're truly loved | Be warned by my example !
| Nov*' I pay the fee |
When
my fatal false-
hood.' "And since that time the two have gone about as spirits knowing no rest."
Leland has been accused of inaccuracy—a charge which he hotly rebuts [op. cit. p. 13 ff.).
I le was no doubt an erratic genius, and there is a good deal of chaff mixed with his grain.
But he certainly meant his tales from La Romagna Toscana as a serious contribution to
folk-lore : see his letters to Mrs Pennell written from Florence in 1890— 1891 and printed
by E. R. Pennell Cliarks Godfrey Leland London 1906 ii. 339 ff.
1 Corp. inscr. Lat. x no. 1493, 6 = Dessau Inscr. Lat. scl. no. 6457, 6 flamini Virbiali.
See further Frazer Golden Bongh^: The Magic Art i. 20 n. 3.
- Supra p. 400 f. See further Class. Rev. 1902 xvi. 380 n. 3.
* Serv. t«Verg. Aen. 2. 116 Colchos petierat {sc. Orestes), et cum his occiso Thoante,
simulacrum sustulit absconditum fasce lignorum : unde et Facelitis dicitur...et Ariciam
detulit. sed cum postea Romanis sacrorum crudelitas displiceret, quamquam servi immo-
larentur, ad Laconas est Diana translata, ubi sacrificii consuetude adulescentum verberibus
servatur, qui vocabantur Bomonicae, quia aris superpositi contendebant, qui plura posset
verbera sustinere. Infra § 3
•» Supra p. 394
n. 2.
(c) i (ff).
* Paus. 3. 16. 9 Toxjra fxev yap ^Affrpd^aKos Kal'AXdnreKO^ oi "IpjSov toD 'Afj,vicus). He thinks that the first ? of Virbius may
perhaps be due to the influence of the second i (c^.flius).
* According to Walde Lat. etym. Worlerb.'^ pp. 55 f., 58 and Boisacq Diet, t'tym. de
la Langue Gr. p. 711 f., arbor, arduus, and opdos are all of kindred origin.