File:The cities and cemeteries of Etruria (1878) (14594004548).jpg

Identifier: citiescemeterie02denn (find matches)
Title: The cities and cemeteries of Etruria
Year: 1878 (1870s)
Authors: Dennis, George, 1814-1898
Subjects: Tombs
Publisher: London Murray
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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portions of theearlier fortifications raised by the AretiniFidentes. Plin. III. 8. 8 It may be urged as an objection to thisbeing the Etruscan site, that the masonryis of stone, whereas the ancient walls wereof brick. But we have no positive assur-ance that the brick walls, mentioned by Yitruvius and Fliny, were of Etruscanconstruction. If on the capture of the cityby the Romans, a fresh town was built, aswas the case with Falerii and Volsinii, itmay have been that which had the walls ofbrick ; for as nearly three centuries inter-vened to the time of Vitruvius, they wouldhave been entitled to his designation ofancient. Were it even certain thatYitruvius and Pliny refer to the Etruscanwalls, it may be that in these ruins we seebut a small portion of the ancient fortifica-tions, and just that portion which from themassiveness of the masonry has escapeddestruction. If the brickwork were notstrongly cemented it would soon be pulledto pieces by the peasantry, for the sake ofthe materials.
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SATYRS AND HARPY, FROM THE ETRUSCAN LAMP, CORTONA MUSEUM. CHAPTER LX. COETONA.—CORTONA. Corythum, terrasque requiratAusonias !—Virgil. Clara fuit Sparte ; magna? viguere Mycenae ; Vile solum Sparte est; alta? cecidere Mycenae.—Ovid. Traveller, thou art approaching Cortona ! Dost thou,reverence age—that fulness of years which, as Pliny says, inman is venerable, in cities sacred? Here is that which demandsthy reverence. Here is a city, compared to which Home is butof yesterday—to which most other cities of ancient renown arefresh and green. Thou mayst have wandered far and widethrough Italy—nothing hast thou seen more venerable thanCortona. Ere the days of Hector and Achilles, ere Troy itselfarose—Cortona was. On that bare and lofty height, whose

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