Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

AGGER. AGONALIA. 31
tions of modern times bear some resemblance to this cingere; and the making of the agger is expressed
Roman usage. by the verbs exstruere, construere, jacere, facere, &c.
It has been observed that finis, a term which Some of these agqeres were gigantic works, flanked
expresses the boundary of separate properties, must with towers to defend the workmen and soldiers,
not be confounded with limes; nor must fuindus be and surmounted by parapets, behind which the
confounded with locus. A fundus has determinate soldiers could discharge missiles upon the besieged
boundaries (fines): a locus is indeterminate, and towns. At the siege of Avaricum, Caesar raised in
may be part of a fundus or comprise more than a twenty-five days an agger 330 feet broad, and 80
fundus. A dispute about a fundus is a question of feet high. (B. G. vii. 24.) As the agger was
property; a dispute about a locus or finis is a dis- sometimes made of wood, hurdles, and similar
pute about boundaries. materials, we sometimes read of its being set on
Niebuhr conjectures " that a fundus assigned by fire. (Liv. xxxvi. 23; Caes. B. G. vii. 24, B. C. ii.
the state was considered as one entire farm, as a 14, 15.) The word agger was also applied to the
whole, the limits of which could not be changed." earthen wall surrounding a Roman encampment,
But he adds, " This did not preclude the division composed of the earth dug from the ditch (fossa),
of estates, nor even the sale of duodecimal parts of which was usually nine feet broad and seven feet
them;" and further, "The sale or transfer of them, deep; but if any attack was apprehended, the
when the whole was not alienated, was in parts depth was increased to twelve feet, and the breadth
according to the duodecimal scale." But to this it to thirteen feet. Sharp stakes, &c., were usually
is replied by Dureau de la Malle, that when there fixed upon the agger, which was then called vallum.
were five, seven or nine heredes, there must be a When both words are used (as in Caesar, B. G. vii.
fractional division. A fundus generally had a par- 72, cager ac vallusz), the agger means the mound
ticular name which was not changed, and it is of earth; and the vallum the sharp stakes (valli),
stated that both in Italy and France many of these which were fixed upon the agger.
properties still have Roman names. But the fact At Rome, the formidable rampart erected by
of a fundus generally having a name, and the fact Servius Tullius to protect the western side of Rome
of the name being often preserved, does not prove -was called agger. It extended from the further
that all fundi retained their original limits accord- extremity of the Quirinal to that of the Esquiline.
ing to Roman usage; nor does the fact, that there It was fifty feet broad, having a wall on the top,
were sometimes two, sometimes three owners of one defended by towers, and beneath it was a ditch a
fundus (Dig. 10. tit. 1. s. 4.), prove that a fundus hundred feet wide and thirty feet deep. (Cic. de
never had its limits changed, while it disproves Rep. ii. 6; Dionys. ix. 68.) Pliny (I. N. iii. 5.
Niebuhr's assertion as to duodecimal parts, unless s. 9) attributes the erection of this rampart to Tarthe halves and thirds were made up of duodecimal quinius Superbus, but this is in opposition to all
parts, which cannot be proved. It seems probable the other ancient writers who speak of the matter.
enough, that an original fundus would often retain AGITATO'RES. [CIRcvs.]
its limits unchanged for centuries. But it is certain AGMEN. [ExERCITUS.]
that the bounds (fines) of private properties often AGNA'TI. [COGNATI.]
changed. Rudorff remarks: "The boundary of a AGNO'MEN. [NOMEN.]
property is changeable. It may by purchase, ex- AGONAILIA, or AGO'NIA (Ov. Fast. v.
change, and other alienation, be pushed further, 721), one of the most ancient festivals at Rome,
and be carried back." The localities of the great celebrated several times in the year. Its instituCardines, Decumani, and other Limites, as the same tion, like that of other religious rites and cerewriter has been already quoted to show, are un- monies, was attributed to Numa Pompilius. (Machangeable. crob. Saturn. i. 4.) We learn from the ancient
The difficulty of handling this subject is very calendars that it was celebrated on the three folgreat, owing to the corrupted text of the writers on lowing days, the 9th of January, the 21st of May,
the Res Agraria The latest edition of these and the 1lth of December (cc. d. V. Id. Jan.; XII.
writers is by Goesius, Amsterdam, 1674, Anew Kal. Jzmn.; III. Id. Dec.); to which we should
and corrected edition of these writers with a suit- probably add the 17th of March (a. d. XVI. Kal.
able commentary would be a valuable contribution Apr.), the day on which the Liberalia was celeto our knowledge of the Roman land systeinm (Rei brated, since this festival is also called Agonia or
Agrariae Auctores, ed. Goes.; Rudorff, Zeitschlift Agonium Mlartiale. (Varr. L. L. vi. 14, ed. Miilfzdr Gesclicht. Rechtsw. Ueber die Granzscheidungs- ler; Macrob. I. c.; lfalendariun Vaticanzum.) The
klage, vol. x,; Niebuhr, vol. ii. appendix 1; Dureau object of this festival was a disputed point among
de la Malle, Economie Politique des Ronmainsi vol. ii. the ancients themselves; but as Hartung has obp. 166, &c.) [G. L.] served (Die Religion der Romer, vol. ii. p. 33), when
AGER SANCTUS (rerjEevos). For an account it is recollected that the victim which was offered
of the lands in Greece devoted to the service of was a rami that the person who offered it was the
religion, see TEMnENOS: for an account of those rex sacrificulus, and that the place where it was
in Rome, see SACERDOS. offered was the regia (Var. L. L. vi. 12; Ov. Fast.
AGETO'RIA (a'r —qdpta.) [CARNRIA.] i. 333; Fest. s. v. Agonium), we shall not have
AGGER (fcuoa)j from ad and gere, was used much difficulty in understanding the significance
in general for a heap or mound of any kind which of this festival. The ram was the usual victim
might be made of stones, wood, earth or any other presented to the guardian gods of the state, and
substance. It was more particularly applied to a the rex sacrificulus and the regia could be eammound, usually composed of earth, which was raised ployed only for such ceremonies as were connected
round a besieged town, and which was gradually with the highest gods and affected the weal of the
increased in breadth and height, till it equalled or whole state. Regarding the sacrifice in this light,
overtopped the walls. Hence we find the expres- we see a reason for its being offered several times
bions aggere oppidumn oppugnare, agere oppidunl in the year.