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    "source_title": "Encyclopaedia Britannica (1911)",
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    "chunk_id": "1911:fescennia:f58a948267b9",
    "title": "FESCENNIA",
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    "verified_text": "fescennia, an ancient city of etruria, which is probably to be placed immediately to the n. of the modern corchiano, 6 m. n.w. of civita castellana (see falerii). the via amerina traverses it. g. dennis (_cities and cemeteries of etruria_, london, 1883, i. 115) proposed to place it at the riserva s. silvestro, 3 m. e. of corchiano, nearer the tiber, where remains of etruscan walls exist. at corchiano itself, however, similar walls may be traced, and the site is a strong and characteristic one--a triangle between two deep ravines, with the third (west) side cut off by a ditch. here, too, remains of two bridges may be seen, and several rich tombs have been excavated. see a. buglione, \"conte di monale,\" in _romische mitteilungen_ (1887), p. 21 seq. fescennine verses (_fescennina carmina_), one of the earliest kinds of italian poetry, subsequently developed into the satura and the roman comic drama. originally sung at village harvest-home rejoicings, they made their way into the towns, and became the fashion at religious festivals and private gatherings--especially weddings, to which in later times they were practically restricted. they were usually in the saturnian metre and took the form of a dialogue, consisting of an interchange of extemporaneous raillery. those who took part in them wore masks made of the bark of trees. at first harmless and good-humoured, if somewhat coarse, these songs gradually outstripped the bounds of decency; malicious attacks were made upon both gods and men, and the matter became so serious that the law intervened and scurrilous personalities were forbidden by the twelve tables (cicero, _de re publica_, iv. 10). specimens of the fescennines used at weddings are the epithalamium of manlius (catullus, lxi. 122) and the four poems of claudian in honour of the marriage of honorius and maria; the first, however, is distinguished by a licentiousness which is absent in the latter. ausonius in his _cento nuptialis_ mentions the fescennines of annianus faliscus, who lived in the time of hadrian. various derivations have been proposed for _fescennine_. according to festus, they were introduced from fescennia in etruria, but there is no reason to assume that any particular town was specially devoted to the use of such songs. as an alternative festus suggests a connexion with _fascinum_, either because the fescennina were regarded as a protection against evil influences (see munro, _criticisms and elucidations of catullus_, p. 76) or because _fascinum_ (= _phallus_), as the symbol of fertility, would from early times have been naturally associated with harvest festivals. h. nettleship, in an article on \"the earliest italian literature\" (_journal of philology_, xi. 1882), in support of munro's view, translates the expression \"verses used by charmers,\" assuming a noun _fescennus_, connected with _fas fari_. the _locus classicus_ in ancient literature is horace, _epistles_, ii. 1. 139; see also virgil, _georgics_, ii. 385; tibullus ii. 1. 55; e. hoffmann, \"die fescenninen,\" in _rheinisches museum_, li. p. 320 (1896); art. latin literature.",
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