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Avernus

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ancient name for a volcanic crater near Cumae (Cuma), Italy

This article is about the crater. For the lake within it, seeLake Avernus. For other uses, seeAvernus (disambiguation).

Avernus was an ancient name for avolcanic crater nearCumae (Cuma),Italy, in the region ofCampania west ofNaples. Part of thePhlegraean Fields of volcanoes,^[1] Avernus is approximately 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) in circumference. Within the crater isLake Avernus (Lago d'Averno).^[2]

Role in ancient Roman society

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Avernus was believed to be the entrance to theunderworld, and is portrayed as such in theAeneid ofVirgil. According to tradition, all birds flying over the lake were destined to fall dead,^[3] hence the lake’s name was transferred to Greek asἌορνος (λίμνη)Áornos (límnē)‚ or 'birdless (lake)'.^[4] This was likely due to the toxic fumes that the mouths of the crater gave off into the atmosphere. In later times, the word was simply an alternative name for the underworld.

On the shores of the lake is the grotto of theCumaean Sibyl and the entrance to a long tunnel (Grotta di Cocceio, c. 800 metres (2,600 ft)) leading toward Cumae, where her sanctuary was located. There are also the remains of temples toApollo andJupiter. During thecivil war betweenOctavian andAntony,Agrippa tried to turn the lake into a military port, thePortus Julius. A waterway was dug fromLake Lucrino to Avernus to this end. The port's remains may still be seen under the lake's surface.^[5]

Avernus was also regarded as a divine being. The 4th-5th century writerServius the Grammarian described a statue of Avernus, which perspired during the storm after the union ofLake Avernus andLucrinus Lacus, and to which expiatory sacrifices were offered.^[6]^[7]

Averni

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The termavernus (pluralaverni) was also used by ancient naturalists for certain lakes, grottos, and other places which infect the air with poisonous steams or vapors. TheCave of Dogs in Italy was a famous example.^[8] The most celebrated of these, however, is Lake Avernus.

They were also called mephites.Mephitis was the Roman goddess of noxious vapors who protected against malaria. The adjective 'mephitic' means 'foul-smelling' or 'malodorous'.

References

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^Siebert, Lee; Simkin, Tom; Kimberly, Paul (2011).Volcanoes of the World (3rd ed.). University of Calif. Press. p. 50.ISBN 978-0-520-94793-1.[in the chart] Campi Flegrei [...] Averno
^Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911)."Avernus" .Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
^ One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728)."Averni".Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. p. 177.
^W. M. Lindsay,The Latin Language, Oxford 1894, p. 197.
^R.F., Paget (1968). "The Ancient Ports of Cumae".The Journal of Roman Studies.58 (1–2):152–169.doi:10.2307/299704.JSTOR 299704.
^Servius the Grammarian,ad Virg. Georg. 2.161
^Schmitz, Leonhard (1849)."Avernus".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. Taylor, Walton and Maberly and John Murray. p. 418. Retrieved2024-12-31.
^Curtis, Thomas (1829).The London Encyclopaedia. Vol. 3. T. Tegg. p. 269.