Ampsanctus
Encyclopedia
Ampsanctus, or Amsanctus (modern: Sorgente Mefita) was a small lake in the territory of the Hirpini
, c. 15 km south of Aeclanum
, close to the Via Appia (southern Italy
). There are now two small pools which exhale carbonic acid
gas and hydrogen sulfide
. Close by was a temple of the goddess Mephitis
, with a cave from which suffocating vapors rose, and for this reason the place was brought into connection with the legends of the infernal regions. Virgil
's description (Aeneid
, vii. 563) is not, however, very accurate.
Hirpini
The Hirpini , were an ancient Samnite people of central Italy. While general regarded as having been Samnites, sometimes they are treated as a distinct and independent nation...
, c. 15 km south of Aeclanum
Aeclanum
Aeclanum was an ancient town of Samnium, southern Italy, c. 25 km east-southeast of Beneventum, on the Via Appia ....
, close to the Via Appia (southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
). There are now two small pools which exhale carbonic acid
Carbonic acid
Carbonic acid is the inorganic compound with the formula H2CO3 . It is also a name sometimes given to solutions of carbon dioxide in water, because such solutions contain small amounts of H2CO3. Carbonic acid forms two kinds of salts, the carbonates and the bicarbonates...
gas and hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas with the characteristic foul odor of expired eggs perceptible at concentrations as low as 0.00047 parts per million...
. Close by was a temple of the goddess Mephitis
Mefitis
In Roman mythology, Mefitis was the personification of the poisonous gases emitted from the ground in swamps and volcanic vapors....
, with a cave from which suffocating vapors rose, and for this reason the place was brought into connection with the legends of the infernal regions. Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
's description (Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
, vii. 563) is not, however, very accurate.