Bovillae

vol. III p.798-799

Bovillae

(Bohillae Non. 122 M. and Schol. Pers. VI 55 because of the Alban etymology of hillae = intestina bovis; the greek Βοΐλλαι; inhabitants called Bovillani and Bovillenses, Βοϊλλανός Dionys. and Steph. Byz. [from supplement: two inscriptions from the city of Rome (Not. d. scavi 1886, 383, 215 = CIL VI 33946. Not. d. scavi 1894, 280 = CIL VI 33950) mention chariot-triumphs Bovillis. cf. further Nissen Ital. Landesk. II 585f.]), <50> a city in Latium on the Via Appia, 11 mp. from Rome, seen as a colony of Alba Longa (Diod. frg. 1. VII. Origo gentis Roman. 17) and was listed in the set of thirty Latin city states in Dionys. V 61. Cic. pro Planc. 23 shows that the Bovillani took part in the celebrations on Mount Albanus; even in the time of the late republic, there was a legend that the sacra of Alba Longa were taken over to Bovillae; <60> namely, the virgines Vestales Albanae (CIL XIV 2410. VI 2713) seem to have organised their cult in or at Bovillae (Ascon. ad Milon. 17). Also, the sacrarium of the gens Iulia who trace back to Alba Longa took place in Bovillae (inscription from the 2nd centry BCE or in the time of Sulla CIL XIV 2387) and was reinstated by Tiberius 16 AD (Tacit. ann. II 41). The ludicrum circense Iuliae gentis apud Bovillae are mentioned in Tacit. ann. XV 23, <page break 798/799> which were probably the same as those which took place under the leadership of the sodales Augustales, which had their base of operations in Bovillae (fasts[?] of the same, mostly found in the ruins of Bovillae, CIL VI 1984-1996. XIV 2388-2404). Because of this connection to Alba, the inhabitants often referred to themselves as Albani Longani Bovillenses (CIL XIV 2405. 2406. 2409. 2411. VI 1851). <10> In history, Bovillae is only really mentioned (since the storming of Bovillae by Coriolanus, which Dionys. VIII 20 and Plut. Cor. 20 talk about, is legendary, and the supposed triumph over Bovillae in Florus I 5, 6 is just a rhetorical phrase) because of the scuffle between Milo and Clodius (52 BCE), in which the latter was killed (Appian. b. c. II 21. Cic. pro Mil. 17; ad Att. V 13, 1. Liv. epit. 107. Vellei. II 47). It can’t really be determined how much the account in the Liber colonarium 231 is based in truth, <20> which states that, in the time of Sulla, Bovillae was surrounded by walls and had taken in a colony of veterans. In the time of the empire, it had a municipal constitution (quattuorviri iure dicundo CIL VI 1851. XIV 2413), as a suburb of Rome (suburbanae B. Propert. IV 1, 33. Ovid. fast. III 667), it enjoyed a period of flourishing, which the valuable remains excavated at the Osteria delle Fratocchie show (Circus, Theater, etc., see Canina Via Appia I 202-216; Edifizj di Roma antica VI tav. 51). <30> It was listed on the Tab. Peut. and Geogr. Rav. IV 34 p. 277 as a stopping-point on the Via Appia (which was already paved with limestone up to Bovillae in 293 BCE, Liv. X 47, 4); and also mentioned in Suet. Aug. 100. Martial. II 6, 2. Tacit. hist. IV 2. 46. Plin. III 63. But the fundus Bovillanus (Var. Bovilianus, Bombilianus) in Cic. ad Qu. fr. III 1, 2. 3 had nothing to do with Bovillae, but instead was somewhere near Arpinum. <40> Latin inscriptions from Bovillae CIL XIV 2387-2425; cf. Nibby Dintorni di Roma² I 302-313. Bormann Altlatinische Chorographie 159-164.

[Hülsen.]