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The word ‘Sorex’ in C.I.L. I2, 1988, 1989

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2012

Grace H. Macurdy
Affiliation:
Professor of Greek, Vassar College.

Extract

My attention was called to these two inscriptions in reading a chapter of Professor L. R. Taylor's book (soon to be published) on Local Cults in Etruria. Professor Taylor mentions the inscriptions in her discussion of the hirpi Sorani, members of a Faliscan family, who walked through fire at the annual sacrifice to Apollo on Soracte. Pliny tells of the special exemptions granted this family on account of their priestly service. The word hirpus is interpreted as wolf. In the two inscriptions cited in my title the word sorex is found, following the title haruspex (or haracna) referring to two men with the cognomen Clipearius. It has been recognized as probably connoting some priestly title, but I believe that no attempt has been made to interpret it. I suggest that as certain other families from the neighbourhood of Falerii had the hereditary title of Soran Wolves, so the two Clipearii had the title Shrewmice.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Grace H. Macurdy 1921. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

page 108 note 1 Pliny, N.H. 7, 19.

page 108 note 2 Cook, A. B., Zeus, pp. 441 ff.

page 108 note 3 Varro, R.R. 2, 4, 12.

page 108 note 4 Athenisch. Mitth. 1911, p. 331.

page 109 note 1 Herodotus viii, 133–135.

page 109 note 2 Cf. Ant. Lib. 28, where Leto is transformed into a shrewmouse.

page 109 note 3 Strabo, i, 813.

page 109 note 4 Herodotus ii, 67.

page 109 note 5 Pliny, N.H. 8, 223.

page 109 note 6 Aristotle, , H.A. 8, 23Google Scholar (604).

page 109 note 7 Pliny, N.H. 29, 88.

page 109 note 8 Ibid. 227.

page 109 note 9 Folk Lore Record, i, pp. 42, 43.

page 109 note 10 Folk Lore, 1908, pp. 88, 89.

page 109 note 11 Folk Lore, 1898, pp. 334, 335.

page 110 note 1 American National Geographical Magazine, ‘Our Wild Animals,’ pp. 596 ff.

page 110 note 2 Frazer, , G.B. iv, p. 186Google Scholar. He says it would be rash to infer Totemism.

page 110 note 3 Döderlein, Syn. s.v. Soracte.

page 110 note 4 Hirtius, B.H. 27.

page 110 note 5 ‘Our Wild Animals,’ l.c.