Acque Sorgive Salutari e Sacre in Etruria (Italiae Regio VII): Ricerche Archeologiche e di Tipografia Antica - Paperback

by Riccardo Chellini (Author)

The medicinal and panaceist benefits of spring water have been known since ancient times and people have been bathing in and drinking from springs, lakes and watery caves for centuries. This volume presents a catalogue of such sites in the region of Etruria, dating from prehistory to the late Roman Imperial period. As well as describing 115 sites, or topographical units as Chellini labels them, he discusses overall trends in drinking, bathing, worshipping and leaving votive offerings at these sites based on the evidence he cites. The development of cults and belief systems associated with such sites, such as those linked to female fertility and lactation, and the veneration of divinities such as Apollo and Hercules, is emphasised. Italian text.