CAMENAE
originally fountain deities, afterwards
identified with the
Muses, who gave their name to the place where their cult
was located.
Topographically, Camenae was a general term (
Vitr. viii.
3. I;
Mart.
ii. 6. 16; Serv. ad
Aen. vii. 697; cf. templa Camenarum,
Schol.
Iuv.
iii. 16), including the valley (vallis Egeriae,
Iuv. iii. 13),
the grove (lucus,
Iuv. loc. cit.;
Liv. i. 21), the spring (fons, locc. citt.; Plut.
Num. 4;
Symmach.
Ep. i. 20), and the shrine (aedicula, Serv. loc.
cit.). The spring
was undoubtedly at the foot of the southern extremity of
the Caelian
hill, inside the boundaries of the Villa Mattei, but it is
impossible to
identify it certainly with any particular one of those that
are now found
in the immediate vicinity (cf. LA 223-225 ;
LS iii. 205 ;
HJ 206). The
grove was around the spring, and the vallis extended
north-east from
this point along the south-east side of the Caelian, and
was traversed
by the vicus Camenarum (
CIL vi. 975, Reg. I), which
joined the via
Appia. This valley is now marked by the Via delle Mole
and the Marrana
brook. The spring was near the via Appia, and, according
to tradition,
Numa built beside it a small bronze aedicula (the day of
dedication was
Aug. 13, Fast. Ant. ap.
NS 1921, 108), which, after
having been struck
by lightning and removed to the temple of Honos et
Virtus, was again
transferred by Fulvius Nobilior to the temple of Hercules
which was then
called aedes Herculis et Musarum. Later a temple (aedes,
Plin.
NH
xxxiv. 19) appears to have taken its place, which is
mentioned only once.
The grotto of the spring had also been adorned with
marble in Juvenal's
time (iii. 10). Its water was excellent (Vitr. cit.; Frontin. de
aquis i. 4).
See
AQUA MERCURII.
