FAUNUS,
The Son of Picus, the first King of the Latins. This Faunus is sometimes confounded with Pan, and it seems that Ovid himself makes no distinction of them; how∣ever, Dionysius Hallicarnasseus says, that Faunus the Son of Mars reigned in Italy, when Evan∣der landed there, and that the Romans made him afterwards one of the Tutelar Gods of the Country. The same Historian says some∣where else, that in progress of time the com∣mon opinion was, that Faunus was that wild God, whose voice was heard by night in the Forests, and frighted the People. Whereby it doth appear that he ascribes pannick fears to Faunus, and makes but one God, both of Fau∣nus and Pan.
Eusebius reckons up Faunus among the Kings of the Aborigines, an ancient People in Italy, for he accounts the number of them thus, Janus, Saturnus, Faunus, Latinus. Notwith∣standing the Latins made him a Genius, and a God uttering Predictions, and this agrees with his proper name. For Faunus is derived from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, fari, loqui, and his Wife was named Fatua from the same origine a fatu, as vates comes from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
Pan and Faunus were likely but one and the same, seeing that the name of Pan is the same with that of Faunus in the Hebrew Tongue; for Pan in Hebrew signifies Fear; and Fan, foun is the same thing.
Aurelius Victor is of the same opinion.
Virgil make Faunus a God of Oracles and Predictions.
At Rex solicitus monstris, Oracula Fauni Fatidici genitoris adit, &c.