Angitia
Encyclopedia
Angitia was a goddess among the Marsi
, the Paeligni
and other Oscan-Umbrian populations of central Italy
. She was associated in antiquity as snake-charmers who claimed her as their ancestor. Roman interpretations
probably obscure her Marsian significance.
Her myths vary. According to Gnaeus Gellius
(late 2nd century BC), Angitia was one of the three daughters of Aeëtes
, along with Medea
and Circe
, two of the most famed sorceresses of Greek myth. Circe, as widely known from the Odyssey
, practiced transforming spells; Medea ended up in Italy, where her son ruled over the Marsi. Angitia lived in the area around the Fucine lake
and specialized in curing snake bites.
Angitia is attested by inscriptions in the territory of the Marsi and elsewhere in the Central Apennines. She is named in three inscriptions from Luco dei Marsi
, in antiquity known as Lucus
Angitiae, "Sacred Grove of Angitia." The earliest is a dedication to the goddess "on behalf of the Marsic legions
," dating to the late 4th century BC. The name also appears on a dedicatory cippus from Civita d'Antino
, in the Umbrian
Iguvine Tablets
, and in inscriptions in the territories of the Paeligni
, Vestini
, and Sabines. She is mentioned along with Angerona
in one inscription, and in another her name appears in the plural. Another indicates that she had a temple and a treasury. The Romans derived her name from anguis, "serpent," hence the form Anguitia.
As snakes were often associated with the healing arts in antiquity (see, for instance, rod of Asclepius
), Angitia is believed to have been mainly a goddess of healing. She had powers of witchcraft, magic and medicine being regarded as complementary in the ancient world, and was a master in the art of miraculous and herbal healing, especially when it came to snakebites. She was also attributed with a wide range of powers over snakes, including the power to kill snakes with a touch.
According to the account given by Servius, the goddess was of Greek origin, for Arigitia was the name given by the Marrubians to Medea
, who after having left Colchis
came to Italy with Jason
and taught the people the above mentioned remedies. Silius Italicus
identifies her as Medea.
Marsi
Marsi is the Latin exonym for a people of ancient Italy, whose chief centre was Marruvium, on the eastern shore of Lake Fucinus, drained for agricultural land in the late 19th century. The area in which they lived is now called Marsica. During the Roman Republic the people of the region spoke a...
, the Paeligni
Paeligni
The Paeligni or Peligni were an Italic people who lived in the Valle Peligna, in what is now Abruzzo, central Italy.-History:The Paeligni are first mentioned as a member of a confederacy which included the Marsi, Marrucini and Vestini, with which the Romans came into conflict in the Second Samnite...
and other Oscan-Umbrian populations of central 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...
. She was associated in antiquity as snake-charmers who claimed her as their ancestor. Roman interpretations
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
probably obscure her Marsian significance.
Her myths vary. According to Gnaeus Gellius
Gnaeus Gellius
Gnaeus Gellius was the author of a history of Rome from the earliest epoch, extending, as we gather from Censorinus, down to the year 145 BC at least...
(late 2nd century BC), Angitia was one of the three daughters of Aeëtes
Aeëtes
In Greek mythology, Aeëtes , , , was a King of Colchis , son of the sun-god Helios and the Oceanid Perseis , brother of Circe and Pasiphae, and father of Medea, Chalciope and Apsyrtus...
, along with Medea
Medea
Medea is a woman in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god Helios, and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had two children, Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, king of...
and Circe
Circe
In Greek mythology, Circe is a minor goddess of magic , described in Homer's Odyssey as "The loveliest of all immortals", living on the island of Aeaea, famous for her part in the adventures of Odysseus.By most accounts, Circe was the daughter of Helios, the god of the sun, and Perse, an Oceanid...
, two of the most famed sorceresses of Greek myth. Circe, as widely known from the Odyssey
Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
, practiced transforming spells; Medea ended up in Italy, where her son ruled over the Marsi. Angitia lived in the area around the Fucine lake
Fucine Lake
The Fucine Lake was a large lake in central Italy, stretching from Avezzano in the northwest to Ortuccio in the southeast, and touching Trasacco in the southwest. It was drained in 1875.-Roman drainage:...
and specialized in curing snake bites.
Angitia is attested by inscriptions in the territory of the Marsi and elsewhere in the Central Apennines. She is named in three inscriptions from Luco dei Marsi
Luco dei Marsi
Luco dei Marsi is a comune and town in the Province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is part of the Marsica.The town was probably founded by the Roman Emperor Claudius to house workers in the drying of the Lacus Fucinus...
, in antiquity known as Lucus
Lucus
In ancient Roman religion, a lucus is a sacred grove.Lucus was one of four Latin words meaning in general "forest, woodland, grove" , but unlike the others it was primarily used as a religious designation...
Angitiae, "Sacred Grove of Angitia." The earliest is a dedication to the goddess "on behalf of the Marsic legions
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
," dating to the late 4th century BC. The name also appears on a dedicatory cippus from Civita d'Antino
Civita d'Antino
Civita d'Antino is a comune and town in the province of L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region of central Italy.-History:Antinum, a city of the Marsians, was situated on a lofty hill in the upper valley of the Liri river , about 25 km from Sora and 10 km from the Lake Fucinus, from which it...
, in the Umbrian
Umbrian language
Umbrian is an extinct Italic language formerly spoken by the Umbri in the ancient Italian region of Umbria. Within the Italic languages it is closely related to the Oscan group and is therefore associated with it in the group of Osco-Umbrian languages...
Iguvine Tablets
Iguvine Tables
The Iguvine Tablets are a series of seven bronze tablets discovered at Iguvium , Italy, in the year 1444. They are also known as Eugubian tablets...
, and in inscriptions in the territories of the Paeligni
Paeligni
The Paeligni or Peligni were an Italic people who lived in the Valle Peligna, in what is now Abruzzo, central Italy.-History:The Paeligni are first mentioned as a member of a confederacy which included the Marsi, Marrucini and Vestini, with which the Romans came into conflict in the Second Samnite...
, Vestini
Vestini
Vestini is the Roman exonym for an ancient Italic tribe that occupied the area of the modern Abruzzo included between the Gran Sasso and the northern bank of the Aterno river...
, and Sabines. She is mentioned along with Angerona
Angerona
In Roman mythology, Angerona or Angeronia was an old Roman goddess, whose name and functions are variously explained. She is sometimes identified with the goddess Feronia....
in one inscription, and in another her name appears in the plural. Another indicates that she had a temple and a treasury. The Romans derived her name from anguis, "serpent," hence the form Anguitia.
As snakes were often associated with the healing arts in antiquity (see, for instance, rod of Asclepius
Rod of Asclepius
The rod of Asclepius , also known as the asklepian, is an ancient symbol associated with astrology, the Greek god Asclepius, and with medicine and healing. It consists of a serpent entwined around a staff. The name of the symbol derives from its early and widespread association with Asclepius, the...
), Angitia is believed to have been mainly a goddess of healing. She had powers of witchcraft, magic and medicine being regarded as complementary in the ancient world, and was a master in the art of miraculous and herbal healing, especially when it came to snakebites. She was also attributed with a wide range of powers over snakes, including the power to kill snakes with a touch.
According to the account given by Servius, the goddess was of Greek origin, for Arigitia was the name given by the Marrubians to Medea
Medea
Medea is a woman in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god Helios, and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had two children, Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, king of...
, who after having left Colchis
Colchis
In ancient geography, Colchis or Kolkhis was an ancient Georgian state kingdom and region in Western Georgia, which played an important role in the ethnic and cultural formation of the Georgian nation.The Kingdom of Colchis contributed significantly to the development of medieval Georgian...
came to Italy with Jason
Jason
Jason was a late ancient Greek mythological hero from the late 10th Century BC, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus...
and taught the people the above mentioned remedies. Silius Italicus
Silius Italicus
Silius Italicus, in full Tiberius Catius Asconius Silius Italicus , was a Roman consul, orator, and Latin epic poet of the 1st century CE,...
identifies her as Medea.