alone is a natural island, and is Cicero's. To justify a belief that there must have been some change in the lower end of the island he makes note of the suggestion of an erudito locale that the North branch of the Fibrenus did not originally empty into the Liris, for if it had, the Romans would not have built the old stone bridge where it now stands, since the present situation would necessitate the building of another bridge to cross the North branch of the Fibrenus within a few yards. The suggestion certainly shows keen observation. D'Ovidio, however, prefers the idea that the bridge led directly to Cicero's estate, and was perhaps a private bridge. He then would have the single ancient mouth of the Fibrenus at a point above the bridge; evidently where the North branch now enters the Liris.

85

To the suggestion made to d'Ovidio S. Aurigemma 84 returns in a paper dealing with the problem of the Roman road system in this region. He demonstrates that the old bridge was not a pri vate one, but belonged to a road which led from Sora across the Liris and on toward the west, probably through Verulae to the Latin Way. He argues also that the bridge must have crossed the Liris to the North, above the mouth of the Fibrenus, because the ancient engineers would have avoided subjecting their bridge to the extra force of the current due to the addition of the waters of the Fibrenus to the Liris. If the present condition at the confluence had been the ancient, by changing the location of the bridge only a few yards upstream the Roman builders would have avoided both the extra current and the building of an additional bridge. The explanation seems an excellent one quite apart from the requirements of Cicero's description. With that description it furnishes adequate reason to conclude that there has been a change at the confluence of the rivers since Roman days. We may now agree with the anonymous author of the old map that the main Southern branch of today is probably the ancient mouth of the Fibrenus. How the change came about is not known. Possibly the branch along the north side of the island was blocked up by some obstruction. Some great logs may have floated down stream

84 See above, note 51, and especially p. 43 of the article.

85 Schmidt suggested that the bridge belonged to a road leading along the Fibrenus toward Carnello.

and lodged in this branch, or some huge tree may have fallen across and into it, and then, to make a way for itself, the stream may have broken a new channel to the north. Perhaps some day this question of the cause of the change can be decided by careful examination conducted by competent geologists.

With the site of the island located near the mouth of the Fibrenus it is of course obvious that the estate lay near the confluence of the Liris and the Fibrenus, as suggested at the beginning of this paper. This is the opinion of d'Ovidio, and Schmidt, if we omit the question of Carnello, will agree to the extent that land there belonged to the estate. It occupied evidently the angle which lies to the east of the Liris and to the south of the Fibrenus. The proof that it was to the south is to be found in the fact that in all probability the Fibrenus marked the border between the districts of Sora to the north and Arpinum 86 to the south, and that to the district of Arpinum Cicero's estate certainly belonged. Additional proof is furnished by the De Legibus. By the very first line of the text we are informed that the three friends are in the territory of Arpinum.87 They then go down to the Liris and walk along it, and undoubtedly for some distance, for at the opening of the second book Atticus suggests that they have walked enough and should continue the discussion while seated. He suggests as a good place "the island, which is in the Fibrenus, for, I think, that is the name of that other river." The expression illi alteri flumini surely indicates that they are at the time at the Liris. Then before reaching the island they pass near the home which Cicero says his father had enlarged. Evidently their long walk along the Liris must have been from the south, for, if from the north, they would surely have been in Soran territory and not that of Arpinum, at the beginning. In harmony with this situation the lines of Silius Italicus may be mentioned once more, in which he refers to Cicero's ancestor who "dwelt along the Liris mingling its waters with the Fibrenus." 88

86 See Mommsen, C. I. L., X, 1, pp. 556 and 558.

87 The exact location of the "oak of Marius," with which Schmidt concerns himself, is not essential to this problem, and impossible of verification. See below, note 92.

88 It is evident from Silius and from Cicero's own words that the family had lived for generations in this place, which is so excellently supplied

The location of the estate seems certain; but to locate the exact site of the house on the estate is impossible. The evidence is not at hand. D'Ovidio thinks that the site is that of the monastery. Schmidt makes the same suggestion, but, as an alternative, would place it on the larger island of the delta. He derives his evidence from several passages in Cicero, quoted above, in which Cicero refers to the surrounding streams and the delightful coolness caused by them. But these references can not be made to apply to the house specifically. They may, and probably do, apply to the Insula Arpinas, on which, it is clear from the De Legibus, the house did not stand. It may be however that there were then canals led off from the Fibrenus and encircling the house, as the existing little branch of the Fibrenus encircles the monastery. This would not be entirely out of harmony with Atticus' comparison of the streams he sees with the "Niles" and "Euripi," artificial rivers on great estates of the rich, though I think it simpler to believe that he is referring to the confluence of the Liris and the Fibrenus.

For long there has been a kind of tradition in favor of the site where the monastery building stands. Blondus does not mention the monastery; but Marsus, and Leandro Alberti, who followed him, identify Cicero's villa with the villa of S. Domenico. Perhaps by the word villa they meant the house, perhaps not. Caesar Baronius probably favors the site of the monastery; but with the anonymous author of the map of 1750 the tradition is fully developed. Pistilli has it also. It is argued that in the structure of the monastery much Roman stone has been used. And that is true; but some of the blocks with inscriptions, reliefs, and carvings of the period of the Empire evidently have nothing to do with Cicero, and we cannot know but what all of it was carried there from some other place, from Sora, for example. It was a lord of Arpinum and of Sora, who, in the eleventh century, established and constructed the monastery. From Sora is neither a

with water for power or irrigation. This condition lends weight to one definition of the nomen Tullius which is given by Festus; Tullios alii dixerunt esse silanos, alii rivos. Plutarch, as is well known, reports a story that Cicero's father was a fuller. It is obvious from what Cicero says of him that he was not a fuller by trade; but it may be that on his estate a fulling establishment was conducted. For it a plentiful supply of water would be a desideratum. There is at least one such establishment at the town Isola today, and I was told that there is one near the confluence.

long nor difficult haul. Quite a number of the stones show reliefs which picture military emblems and scenes of combat. They may have been brought from a temple of Mars which seems to have stood at Casamari some five miles distant.89 And certainly the old bridge may have been forced to contribute material, for stones of similar size to some of those used in the monastery are to be found in it.

To the document which concerns the founding of the monastery we may turn for additional evidence. It reads:

90

We found a place in the territories of Sora, where it is called “Inter Formas," which we held among the properties that belonged to us by chart of acquisition. And there we ourselves, domnus Petrus and domna Doda, together and in common, with one mind and one intent, constructed on a new foundation a church to the honor of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the sacred mother of God, and Virgin, Mary. And we gave it into the hands of the venerable domnus Dominicus, priest and abbot.

The passage reads as if the building was to be on a new site; but it must be noted that the new foundation (novo fundamento) may not be used in the physical sense, but in the derived sense of a new establishment. In another document, which Baronius also quotes, telling of the founding of the monastery a few years later at Casamari, not many miles away from S. Domenico, it is specifically stated that the place was chosen because there were seen there ancient structures,91 where it is said that there had been a temple of Mars.92 And they made use of the ruins. Possibly if there had

89 See below, note 91.

"Quoted by Caesar Baronius; see above, note 40: Invenimus locum in finibus Sorae, ubi dicitur, Inter Formas, quem habebamus in rebus proprietatis nostrae per chartulam acquisitionis. Ibique nos ipsi domnus Petrus, et domna Doda simul atque communiter uno animo, mente una, novo fundamento construximus Ecclesiam in honorem Domini nostri Jesu Christi et sanctae Dei genitricis et Virginis Mariae; et tradidimus eam in manus viri venerabilis domni Dominici sacerdotis et abbatis. Baronius had probably altered the spelling to that of his own day; but I know of no reason to doubt the genuineness of his quotation.

1 Antiqua aedificia, ubi dicitur templum fuisse Martis.

** Schmidt seems to believe that in the name Casamari there is preserved a tradition about the location of C. Marius' home. He therefore would locate here the position of the "oak of Marius," near which the three friends are at the opening of the De Legibus. It may be so; but the possibility that mari is a corrupted form of Mars (Martis) should be considered.

been a similar condition at Cicero's estate it would have been mentioned.

However, though the house may not have been located where the monastery now stands, it must have been somewhere in the vicinity. Perhaps some day some one will have the good fortune to find and identify its ruins.

University of North Carolina.