Avernus

For the lake, see Lake Avernus.

Ruined temple to Apollo, Avernus.

Avernus was an ancient name for a crater near Cumae (Cuma), Italy, in the Region of Campania west of Naples. It is approximately 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) in circumference. Within the crater is Lake Avernus (Lago d'Averno).^[1]

Role in ancient Roman society

Avernus was believed to be the entrance to the underworld, and is portrayed as such in the Aeneid of Virgil. The name comes from the Greek word άορνος, meaning "without birds", because according to tradition, all birds flying over the lake were destined to fall dead.^[2] This was likely due to the toxic fumes that mouths of the crater gave off into the atmosphere. In later times, the word was simply an alternate name for the underworld. On the shores of the lake is the grotto of the Cumaean Sybil and the entrance to a long tunnel (Grotta di Cocceio, ca. 800 metres (2,600 ft)) leading toward Cumae, where her sanctuary was located. There are also the remains of temples to Apollo and Jupiter. During the civil war between Octavian and Antony, Agrippa tried to turn the lake into a military port, the Portus Julius. A waterway was dug from Lake Lucrino to Avernus to this end. The port's remains may still be seen under the lake's surface.

Averni

The term Avernus (plural Averni) was also used by ancient naturalists for certain lakes, grottos, and other places which infect the air with poisonous steams or vapors. They were said to be frequent in Hungary on account of the abundance of mines there. The Grotto dei Cani in Italy was a famous example. The most celebrated of these, however, is Lake Avernus.

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

See also

• Ploutonion, "grotto of Plouton," a Greek term for a mephitic sanctuary

References

1. ^  Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Avernus". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
2. ^  This article incorporates content from the 1728 Cyclopaedia, a publication in the public domain. Article “Averni.”

This article relating to an Ancient Roman myth or legend is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Roman mythology Volcanoes of Italy Lazio geography stubs Ancient Roman mythology stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат Synonyms: Hell, Tartarus, Hades, Erebus, the lower world, the infernal regions, shades below Averna ACA Look at other dictionaries: Avérnus — (Averner See), kleiner, kreisrunder See bei Cumä in Kampanien, westlich von Neapel, 3 km im Umfang, 65 m tief, 1,2 m hoch gelegen, ein alter Vulkankrater, den das Altertum zum Mittelpunkt fast aller Sagen vom Schattenreich machte. Hierher… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon AVERNUS — lacus Campaniae, prope Baias, quem Plutoni dicatum et inferorum limen esle rudis vetustas credidit. Dictus quasi ἄορνος, h. e. avibus carens. Vide Aornus. Ita autem ab Aristotele in Admirandis describitur: Περὶ την` Κύμην την εν Ι᾿ταλία λίμνη… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale Avernus — (gr. Aornos, d.i. Vogelloser, weil seine Ausdünstung die über ihn wegfliegenden Vögel tödten sollte), See nördlich von Cumä in Unter Italien, an der Bai von Bajä u. Puteoli, etwa 700 Schritte vom Meere entfernt, welcher den Krater eines… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon Avernus — Avernus, Averner See, ital. See im alten Kampanien, unweit Cumä, mit düsterer Umgebung und mephistischen Ausdünstungen, nach Virgil Eingang in die Unterwelt; jetzt Lago d Averno …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon Avernus — Avernus, See im alten Campanien, in einem ausgebrannten Krater, ungesund durch Dünste; Virgil versetzte dorthin den Eingang in die Unterwelt. Der See und die Umgegend hat jetzt nichts Schreckliches mehr; auch den Vögeln ist er nicht mehr tödtlich …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon Avernus — Avernus1 [ä ver′nō̂ə vʉr′nəs] n. [see AVERNUS2] Hades; hell Avernus2 [ə vʉr′nəs] [L] small lake in an extinct volcano near Naples, Italy, at the edge of which the entrance to Hades was anciently said to be: It. name Averno [ä ver′nō̂] …   English World dictionary Avernus — Avernal, adj. /euh verr neuhs/, n. 1. a lake near Naples, Italy, looked upon in ancient times as an entrance to hell, from whose waters vile smelling vapors arose, supposedly killing birds flying over it. 2. hell. [ < L < Gk áornos birdless …   Useful english dictionary Avernus Colles — is a region of fractured terrain on Mars on the southeast margin of Elysium Planitia, [ [http://themis.asu.edu/zoom 20070718a Mars Odyssey Mission THEMIS: Feature ] ] at 1.6°S, 171°E. It is fairly large, being 244km (152mi) in diameter. It was… …   Wikipedia Avernus, Lake — ancient Lacus Avernus. Lake, southern Italy. It lies west of Naples in the crater of an extinct volcano. Because of its sulfurous vapors, it was considered an entrance to the underworld by the ancient Romans, including Virgil. According to legend …   Universalium Avernus — Avernal, adj. /euh verr neuhs/, n. 1. a lake near Naples, Italy, looked upon in ancient times as an entrance to hell, from whose waters vile smelling vapors arose, supposedly killing birds flying over it. 2. hell. [ < L < Gk áornos birdless,… …   Universalium 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”