Pagus
（
πάγος). In Italy, in ancient times, the pagus was a
country district with scattered hamlets (
vici). The same name was given
to its fortified centre, which protected the sanctuaries of the district and served as a
refuge in time of war. The separate districts were members of a larger community. After cities
had developed out of the places where the people of these districts assembled, the pagi were
either completely merged in their territorium or continued to exist merely as
geographical districts, without importance for administration, or as subordinate village
communities. In Rome the earliest population consisted of the
montani,
the inhabitants of the seven hills of the city, and the
pagani, the
inhabitants of the level ground of the city. Out of the two Servius Tullius made the four city
tribes. The country tribes doubtless arose similarly out of pagi, the names of which were in
some cases transferred to them. Like the old division into
pagani and
montani, the old districts under the authority of
magistri long continued to exist for sacred purposes. They had their special guardian
deities, temples, and rites, which survived even the introduction of Christianity. To the
district festivals belonged especially the
Paganalia (q.v.), the
Ambarvalia (q.v.),
at which the festal procession carefully traversed the old boundaries of the district; and,
lastly, the Terminalia (see
Terminus). The word
paganus is sometimes used as equivalent to
armatus
or
sagatus=miles, and hence opposed to
togatus.
Cf. Pliny,
Epist. x. 86, 2;
Hist. iii. 24; and see further Peck's note on
Suet. Aug. xxvii.On the pagus in general, see Mommsen,
Hist. of
Rome, i. pp. 63 foll. (Amer. ed.).
