Editing Di indigetes

{{Short description|Roman deities}}
{{For|the pre-Roman people on the Iberian peninsula|Indigetes}}
{{Distinguish|indigitamenta}}
{{italic title}}
{{Ancient Roman religion}}
In [[classical Latin]], the epithet ''Indiges'', singular in form, is applied to [[Sol (Roman mythology)|Sol]] (''Sol Indiges'') and to [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]] of [[Lavinium]], later identified with [[Aeneas]]. One theory holds that it means the "speaker within", and stems from before the recognition of divine persons. Another, which the ''[[Oxford Classical Dictionary]]'' holds more likely, is that it means "[[Glossary of ancient Roman religion#invocatio|invoked]]" in the sense of "pointing at", as in the related word ''[[indigitamenta]]''.

In [[Augustan literature (ancient Rome)|Augustan literature]], the ''di indigites'' are often associated with ''di patrii'' and appear in lists of local divinities (that is, divinities particular to a place).<ref>{{cite book |author=Vergil |author-link=Vergil |title=Georgics |at=1.498&nbsp;ff}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Ovid |author-link=Ovid |title=Metamorphoses |at=15.861–867}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first=Richard |last=Gordon |title=Roman Inscriptions 1995–2000 |journal=Journal of Roman Studies |volume=93 |year=2003 |page=266|doi=10.2307/3184644 |jstor=3184644 |s2cid=162894564 }}</ref> [[Maurus Servius Honoratus|Servius]] noted that [[Praeneste]] had its own ''indigetes''.<ref name=ServiusNote>{{cite book |author-link=Maurus Servius Honoratus |author=Servius Honoratus, Maurus |title=Note on the ''Aeneid'' |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0053%3Abook%3D7%3Acommline%3D678}}</ref>{{rp |at=7.678}}

Evidence pertaining to ''di indigites'' is rarely found outside Rome and [[Lavinium]], but a fragmentary [[epigraphy|inscription]] from [[Alatri|Aletrium]] (modern [[Alatri]], north of [[Province of Frosinone|Frosinone]]) records offerings to ''di Indicites'' including [[Fucinus]], a local lake-god; [[Summanus]], a god of nocturnal lightning; Fiscellus, otherwise unknown, but perhaps a local mountain god; and the [[Tempestas|Tempestates]], weather deities. This inscription has been interpreted as a list of local or nature deities to whom [[transhumant]] shepherds should make propitiary offers.<ref>{{cite journal |first=R. |last=Gordon |title=Roman Inscriptions 1995–2000 |journal=Journal of Roman Studies |volume=93 |year=2003 |doi=10.2307/3184644 |jstor=3184644 |s2cid=162894564 |at=pp.&nbsp;266–267 and note&nbsp;348}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=G.L. |last1=Gregori |first2=L. |last2=Galli |title=Donaria: le offerte agli dei |publisher=Museo Civico di Alatri |place=Frosinone, IT |year=1995 |language=IT}}</ref>

==Wissowa's indigetes==
In [[Georg Wissowa]]'s terminology, the '''''di indigetes''''' or '''''indigites''''' were [[List of Roman deities|Roman deities]] that were not adopted from other religions, as distinguished from the ''[[Novensiles|di novensides]]''. Wissowa thus regarded the ''indigetes'' as "indigenous gods", and the ''novensides'' as "newcomer gods". Ancient use, however, does not treat the two terms as a dichotomy, nor maintain a clear-cut distinction between ''indigetes'' and ''novensides''.<ref>{{cite book |first=Arnaldo |last=Momigliano |author-link=Arnaldo Momigliano |article=From Bachofen to Cumont |editor-first=A.D. |editor-last=Momigliano |title=Studies on Modern Scholarship |publisher=University of California Press |year=1994 |page=319}}</ref> Wissowa's interpretation is no longer widely accepted and the meaning remains uncertain.

Wissowa listed 33&nbsp;''di indigetes'', including two collectives in the plural, the [[Lares]] of the estate and the [[Lemures]] of the dead.<ref>{{cite book |first=J.S. |last=Wacher |title=The Roman World |publisher=Routledge |year=1990 |orig-year=1987 |page=751}}</ref> Any list of ''indigetes'', however, is conjectural; Raimo Anttila points out that "we do not know the list of the ''di indigetes''."{{sfn|Anttila|2000|p=180}}

==Ancient sources==
Carl Koch compiled a list of [[Latin literature|Latin authors]] and [[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum|inscriptions]] using the phrase ''di indigetes'' or ''Indiges'':<ref name=Koch_1933>{{cite book |first=Carl |last=Koch |article=Gestirnverehrung im alten Italien. Sol Indiges und der Kreis der Di Indigetes |title=Frankfurter Studien zur Religion und Kultur der Antike |place=Frankfurt am Mein |edition=III |year=1933}}</ref>{{rp|pages=80–83}}

* [[Livy]], 1.2.6, on the end of the mortal life of [[Aeneas]] on the river [[Numicus]] and his identification with or assimilation to ''Iovem Indigetem'' in that place.
* Livy, 8.9.6, the formula of the ''[[devotio]]'' of [[Publius Decius Mus (consul 340 BC)|Decius Mus]]
* [[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum|''CIL'']] I Elog. I from [[Pompeii]]: ''... apellatusque est Indige(n)s Pater et in deorum numero relatus''.
* [[Vergil]], ''[[Aeneid]]'' 12.794, as an epithet of Aeneas
* [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]], ''Natural History'' 3.56, as an epithet of Sol
* [[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum|''CIL'']] 10.5779 from [[Sora, Lazio|Sora]], ''Iovi Airsii Dis Indigetibus cum aedicl(a) et base [et ae]di? et porticu''.
* Vergil, ''Georgics'' 1.498, ''Dii patrii Indigetes et Romule Vestaque Mater...'' .
* [[Ovid]], ''Metamporphoses'' 15.862, ''...&nbsp;di Indigetes genitorque Quirine&nbsp;...,'' in the invocation that concludes the poem.
* [[Silius Italicus]], ''Punica'' 9.278, ''Di Indigetes Faunusque satorque Quirinus''; also 10.435 ff.
* [[Lucan]], ''Pharsalia'' 1.556, mentions the ''di indigetes'' along with the [[Lares]].
* [[Claudian]], ''Bellum Gildonicum'' 1.131
* [[Macrobius]], ''Ad Somnium Scipionis'' 1.9
* [[Quintus Aurelius Symmachus|Symmachus]], ''Relatio'' 3.10

==Scholarship on the ''di indigetes''==

C. Koch, A. Grenier, H. J. Rose, [[Hendrik Wagenvoort]], E. Vetter, K. Latte, G. Radke, R. Schilling, and more recently, R. Anttila have made contributions to the enquiry into the meaning of the word ''Indiges'' and on the original nature of the ''di indigetes''.

===Koch===
Carl Koch's analysis<ref name=Koch_1933/> is particularly complete, and centers mainly on the question of ''Sol Indiges'': Koch has argued that ''Sol Indiges'' is the god to which the ''Agonium'' of December&nbsp;11 is devoted.{{efn|This argument relies on the fragment of the ''[[fasti]]'' discovered at Ostia in 1921, which reads [...&nbsp;ag]ON IND[igeti&nbsp;...]<ref>[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum|''CIL'']] XIV 4547</ref> and on [[John the Lydian|Johannes Lydus]] ''de Mensibus'' IV 155: ''...&nbsp;Agonalia daphneephorooi kai genarcheeei Heliooi&nbsp;...'': Agonalia for the laurel bearer and primaeval ancestor Sol, that Lydus compares to a similar custom in Athens terminating with laurel bearing. ''Sol Indiges'' had two festivals, the other one occurring on August&nbsp;9, on the [[Quirinal Hill|Quirinal]].}} Koch remarks too that the festival of December&nbsp;11 is in correspondence with the ''Matralia'' of June&nbsp;11, dedicated to Mater Matuta, considered the goddess of dawn and, in the ritual, the aunt of the sun, who is the son of the night. Koch was the first to advance the hypothesis of the ''Sol Indiges'' as the forefather (''Stammvater'') of the Roman nation.{{efn|Rose (1937) rejected Koch's interpretation of the ''di Indigetes'' as the primordial ancestors (''Stammvatern'') of the Roman nation on the grounds that the formula of Diodorus is not a Roman original, but is framed along the Greek fashion and looks to reflect a Greek original.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rose |first1=Herbert Jennings |title=The 'Oath of Philippus' and the ''Di Indigetes'' |journal=Harvard Theological Review |date=1937 |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages=165–181 |doi=10.1017/S0017816000022227 |jstor=1507951|s2cid=162858232 }}</ref>}}

===Grenier===
Albert Grenier contributed a paper<ref name=Grenier1950>A. Grenier "Indigetes et Novensiles" in ''Boletim de Filologia'' Bd. 11 (1950) supplem. pp. 192–205.</ref> in which he expands on the results obtained by Koch and pays more attention to the original nature of the ''di Indigetes''. He acknowledges similar conclusions have been reached by [[Hendrik Wagenvoort]].<ref>{{cite book |author-link=Hendrik Wagenvoort |first=Hendrik |last=Wagenvoort |title=Roman Dynamism |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=1947 |chapter=Chapter&nbsp;III Numen, Novensiles, and Indigetes |pages=73–103}}</ref>

As Koch did, Grenier<ref name=Grenier1950/> cites the formula of the oath of loyalty to [[Marcus Livius Drusus (tribune)|M. Livius Drusus]] in 91&nbsp;BCE by a Latin chief, preserved by [[Diodorus Siculus]],<ref>[[Diodorus Siculus]], ''[[Bibliotheca Historica]]'' XXXVII 11</ref> in which are mentioned, after Iuppiter Capitolinus, Vesta, and Mars Pater, ''Helios genarchees'', and ''euergetin zooin te kai phytoon Geen'' (‘''the mother Earth which benefits animals and plants''’). Grenier thinks that ''Sol Indiges'' and the ''Good Mother Earth'' (whom he interprets to be the ''Mater Matuta'' of the ''Matralia''){{efn|Grenier<ref name=Grenier1950/> cites Vendryes (1939)<ref>{{cite book |first=Joseph |last=Vendryes |article=Teutomatos |title=Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres |year=1939 |volume=83 |issue=5 |doi=10.3406/crai.1939.77232 |pages=466–480}}</ref> to support this interpretation against that of ''Mater matuta'' as the goddess of dawn. The root of Matuta which has given ''matutinus'', morning time, would originally mean ''maturus'', ripe as favourable time or right time for birth, thence for extension would come its meaning of morning as the most favourable time of the day.}} would be the ''di Indigetes'' of the ''devotio'' of [[Publius Decius Mus (consul 340 BC)|Decius Mus]].

He goes on to analyse the other testimonies related to the cult of the ''di indigetes'' found in [[Dionysius of Halicarnassus]].<ref name=DionHali_RA/>

The first is the inscription on the monument on the [[Numicus]], which was thought to be dedicated to ''Aeneas Iuppiter Indiges,'' which reads: "Of the Father God chthonios who rules the flow of the Numicius." Grenier<ref name=Grenier1950/> remarks that the inscription does not mention Aeneas, and is in fact just a small sanctuary of the god of the river. In this same region, Pliny (see prev. section) mentions a ''Sol Indiges,'' and Dionysius describes a monument called the ''Sanctuary of the Sun'' in his time, made up by two altars on an East–West line by a marsh: It was believed to have been erected by Aeneas as a token of thanksgiving for the miracle of the spring.<ref name=DionHali_RA>{{cite book |first=Dionysius |last=Halicarnassus |author-link=Dionysius of Halicarnassus |script-title=el:Ῥωμαϊκὴ Ἀρχαιολογία |trans-title=Roman Antiquities}}</ref>{{rp|at=I 55}} On this evidence, Grenier concludes that ''Sol Indiges'' is connected to Lavinium and to the cult of the ''Penates publici'' of Rome. This fact is supported by [[Marcus Terentius Varro|Varro]]: ''Lavinium ibi dii penates nostri''.<ref name=VarroLingua/>{{rp|at=V 144}} This identification is further supported by the tradition that the new consuls, upon entering office, sacrificed on this ''sanctuary of the Sun'' to Iuppiter Indiges and by the fact that the formulae of the oaths never mention the ''di indigetes'' along with ''Iuppiter''.{{efn|For example, the Table of Bantia reads: "''Iuranto per Iovem deosque Penates''".<ref>[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum|''CIL'']] I n. 197</ref>}}

Grenier concludes from such evidence that the ''Penates'' were included within the ''indigetes''.{{efn|The fact that in imperial times the formulae of the oaths substituted the name of the ''princeps'' for the mention of the ''Penates'' points to the origin of the cult of the ''genius'' of the emperor in that of ''Penates publici''.<ref name=Dumezil_1974/>{{rp|at=part II, chapt. 3; It. tr. p. 313}} }} The Roman ''Penates publici'' were represented as two young men or boys, similar to the [[Dioscures]], and identified as gods brought by Aeneas from Troy,<ref name=DionHali_RA/>{{rp|at=I 64–65}} as the true identity of the Indigetes was secret to avoid exauguration.<ref>Festus p. 94 L: "Indigetes, dii quorum nomina vulgari non licet".</ref>{{efn|...&nbsp;Romani celatum esse voluerunt in cuius dei tutela urbs Roma sit et iure pontificum cautum est ne suis nominibus dii romani appellarentur ne exaugurari possint.<ref name=ServiusNote/>{{rp|at=II 351}} }}

Grenier considers the identification with Aeneas and Romulus a later development, and thinks the original ''indigetes'' were naturalistic gods: forces like the sun, the earth, and the waters, which make the wheat and the children grow. Finally, he concludes that they should have been the ''turba deorum'' of the ''indigitamenta,'' which expressed the animistic nature of the most ancient Roman religion.{{efn|A relevant point in the discussion of the sources that Grenier has overlooked is the fact that the inscription quoted in Greek by Dionysius,<ref name=DionHali_RA/>{{rp|at=I 64–end}} ''Patros Theoy Chthonioy&nbsp;...'', must be translated into the Latin ''Dei Patrii Indigetis''.<ref name=DionHali_RA/>{{rp|at=I 64 n.&nbsp;164}} For a correspondence, see the Greek interpretation of [[Tages]] as ''Hermes Chthonios''.<ref>{{cite book |first=Iohannes |last=Lydus |title=De Ostentis |at=2–3 |editor-first=Earnest |editor-last=Cary |series=Loeb Classical Library |year=1937–1950 |publisher=Harvard University Press}}</ref><ref name=DionHali_RA/>{{rp|at=I 64 n.&nbsp;146}} }}

===Latte===
Kurt Latte<ref>K. Latte ''Römische Religionsgeschichte'' Munich 1960 pp. 43–44 and 56.</ref> has supported Carl Koch's thesis that the most ancient Roman religious concepts were based on the natural forces of the sun, moon and waters. He cites and quotes the invocations to the goddess of the Moon at the beginning of every month by the ''[[pontifex minor]]'', who repeated for five or seven times the invocation: "''Dies te quinque calo Iuno Covella''" or when the Nonae were on the seventh day: "''Septem dies te calo Iuno Covella''".<ref name=VarroLingua>{{cite book |author=Varro |author-link=Varro |title=Lingua Latina}}</ref>{{rp|at=VI 27}} The invocation to the god of the [[Tiber]] during the summer drought: "''Adesto Tiberine, cum tuis undis''". Latte supposes that these invocations were justified by a faith in the magic power of words. ''Pater Indiges'' is attested by [[Gaius Julius Solinus|Solinus]] (II 15) as referred to Aeneas after his disappearance on the Numicius and Dionysius<ref name=DionHali_RA/> also makes reference to the Numicius. Latte thinks that it must be the same cult and the question is whether in Augustan times, the original ''Pater Indiges'' was transformed into ''Iuppiter Indiges''. Whereas Dionysius's text may imply the latter interpretation to be the right one, Latte thinks the material is insufficient to decide.

The other occurrence of ''indiges'' in the singular is that of ''Sol Indiges,'' of which two festivals are known as well as the location of his cult on the Quirinal (from the Fasti)<ref>[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum|''CIL'']] I (second ed.) p. 324.</ref> one of which is the "[ag]ON IND[igeti]".<ref>mentioned in the Fasti of Ostia and in {{cite book |author=Lydus |title=De Mensibus |at=IV 155}}</ref> Latte argues that the date of this latter festival does not correspond with the yearly course of the sun, but could perhaps be the day on which sowing should be completed, citing Columella,<ref>{{cite book |author=Columella |title=De Re Rustica |at=II 8, 2}}</ref> thus the sacrifice should refer to the power of the sun on vegetation.

Latte concludes that, by putting all the above elements together, it could be argued that ''indiges'' might be traced to a representation in which man requests the god to ensure the safety of his sowing. As ''Numicus'' has its parallel with ''Tiber'', so ''Sol'' has its own parallel in the goddess of the Moon. The naive faith in the influence of celestial bodies has countless parallels, even in Athens.<ref>Marcus Aurelius V 7.</ref>

Latte goes on to say that besides these two, there are only instances in the plural which were already not understood by Varro's times.<ref>Schol. Bern. Verg. ''Georg.'' I 498</ref><ref>Fest. exc 106.</ref><ref name=ServiusNote/>{{rp|at=VII 678; XII 794}} The poets of the Augustan era were without any clear idea of its original meaning, having only a vague idea that ''indiges'' was an archaism that had a strong ancient Roman flavor when calling on the gods.

Latte refutes Wissowa's assertion that it was a central concept in Roman theology, also on the grounds of its irrelevance in the Roman calendar, which reflects the most ancient known historical religious document. The inscription from Sora, dating to 4&nbsp;BCE, could be the issue of Augustan restoration and not proof of an original ''Iuppiter indiges''. Another inscription from Ardea mentions ''novem deivo''<ref>Vetter 364b</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=E. |last=Vetter |article=Di novensiles, di indigetes |title=Indogermanische Forschungen |year=1956 |page=1ff}}</ref> and the context clearly does not allow the interpretation of ''newly imported'', disproving Wissowa's assumption.

Latte has also inquired into the etymology of the word ''indiges''. He recalls the attempt by Krestchmer<ref>P. Krestchmer ''Glotta'' '''31''', p. 15.</ref> to explain it with ''digitus'' (finger) which is problematic. In Rome, one did not use fingers when invoking the gods, and in the common original exit of the ancient singular.<ref>Leumann ''Glotta'' '''36''', 1957, p.146.</ref> The most ancient connection with ''ag-ye'', ''aio'' by Corssen is based on ''indigitare'' (frequentative as ''agitare'' for ''agere''). However, more recent discussions have called this interpretation into question, as such formations are usually found only for monosyllabic verbal themes showing a vocalic shift with a preverbal, such as ''comes'', ''superstes'', ''trames'', which ''aio'' excludes; moreover they have an active meaning in Latin. In addition, the hypothesis of a retrograde formation from ''indigitare'' has both linguistic and semantic difficulties: the construction with ''agere,'' meaning "rendering oneself present," implies an impossible formation from a consonantic shift and the semantics of this translation is highly unlikely for ancient times.

Another relevant remark by Latte concerns the belief in the efficacy of the divine appellates, which are sometimes the same for different gods like ''Heries Iunonis'' and ''Heres Martea''.<ref>Festus p. 221 L</ref><ref>Ennius ''Annales'' 104: "Nerienem Mavortis et Herem".</ref> The [[Iguvine Tablets]] mention a ''ahtu iuvio'' and a ''ahtu marti,'' interpreted as ''Actui Iovio'' and ''Actui Martio,'' to which sacrifices are offered.<ref>T. I. IIa 10.11</ref> Latte remarks that here, the offer is made to the abstract concept of the virtue or power of the god, and not to the god himself. Other gods had special entities representing their power as in Rome, including ''Salacia Neptuni'' and ''Lua Saturni''.

Latte finally refuses the interpretation ''indigetes divi'' for Greek ''[[Daemon (classical mythology)|daimones]]'' found in the translation by Macrobius<ref>Macrobius ''Ad Somnium Scipionis'' I 9, 7.</ref> of Hesiod ''Opera'' 121, considering it influenced by late time speculations. The connection of the Gentilician cult of the sun of the [[Aurelii]] with that of ''Sol Indiges'' is impossible to prove.

===Anttila===
Most recently, glottologist Raimo Anttila has made renewed attempts into the inquiry of the original meaning of the word ''indiges'' in his book on protoindoeuropean root *ag.{{sfn|Anttila|2000|pp=171, 180–183}}

Anttila thinks that all the etymological and formal impasses mentioned by Latte could be overcome, if one interprets the basis of the word ''indiges'' to be the verb ''ago'' in the sense of to impel, to drive, to drive from within (''*endo agentes''), instead of the verb ''aio'' (I say). The action of the gods would be that of driving man just as man drives cattle e.g. also in sacrifice (agonium, etymology already cited by Ovid in his ''Fasti'' I 319 ff).

Anttila bases his analysis on the results of Latte, Radke,<ref name=Radke1965>{{cite book |first=G. |last=Radke |title=Die Goetter Altitaliens |place=Muenster |year=1965}}</ref>{{rp|pages=&nbsp;25–35}} Schilling,<ref>R. Schilling ''Rites, cultes et dieux de Rome'' Paris 1979 p.63</ref> and Ancellotti and Cerri.<ref name=AncellottiCerri1996/> He agrees with Schilling's view that the concept underwent changes and its original meaning should be kept different from its later history. Anttila starts considering the coincidence of ''Indiges'' with an ''Agonium'' on December 11 and its concurrence with the festival of ''Mater Matuta'' on June 11. He thinks there is sufficient evidence to say that it has to do with a solar cult centered on Lavinium, connecting the sun with water and earth. ''Sol Indiges'' is ''Pater Indiges'', ''divus pater,'' i.e. ''Iuppiter Indiges'', the highest divine power, the one which makes nature produce food. This impelling action seems close to ''Aja Ekapad'' and [[Savitr]] as variant terms for the sun in connection with other natural phenomena.{{efn|Dumezil had already cited Savitr as a parallel to [[Ceres (mythology)|Ceres]].<ref name=Dumezil_1974/>{{rp|at=part II chapt. 5; It. tr. p. 329}} }}

A similar tint is in [[Indra]] as [[Samaja]] gathering booty, the warrior aspect of economy. It is noteworthy that AGON IND repeat the same root *ag. The Italic evidence for sacrificial and divine power under *ag is plentiful. Umbrian divinities of action, ''ahtu'', dative singular (from *ag-t-eu) are part of the sacrificial actions of Iuppiter and Mars, whereas with Cerfe, the growth action (genitive singular of *ker-s-o-) is assigned to the other gods, e.g. Cerfus Martius 'the principle of vegetative growth in the sphere of Mars'<ref name=AncellottiCerri1996>{{cite book |last1=Ancellotti |last2=Cerri |title=Le tavole di Gubbio e la civilta' umbra |place=Perugia |year=1996}}</ref>{{rp |pages=&nbsp;188, 192}}<ref>Latte ''Roemische Religionsgechichte'' Muenchen 1960 p.44, 56</ref> the equivalent of [[Ares]] [[Aphneius|Aphneios]] in Arcadia. The god of creation [[Brahman]] is called [[ajana]], i.e. driver, instigator. It is a general human religious concept that men drive animals and god drives men. Since ''Indiges'' as driver-in makes sense, from this would also stem the meaning of ''indigitare'', ''indigitamenta''. Carrying out a ritual action results in driving, here ''agere'' and ''agonalis''.

On the basis of this big picture, Anttila attempts to draw a more precise conclusion and overcome the remaining formal difficulties. He argues that holding to the old interpretation of ''indiges'' as 'the caller (forth)' and interpreting the uncertain Umbrian consonant-stem dative plural ''acetus'' 'to the callers forth' as Ancellotti and Cerri<ref name=AncellottiCerri1996/> do is doubtful and the etymology would be better represented by an *ag- drive than by an *ag-ye say, as the supposed root *kei/*ki is a moving root too and not a calling root.{{efn|On this point compare Dumezil's analysis of the etymology of goddess Ceres and of Cerus Manus, the ''good creator'' (found in Paul's ''Festi epitome'' p. 249, L 2nd), perhaps an indigitation of Ianus.<ref name=Dumezil_1974>{{cite book |last=Dumezil |first=George |title=La religion romaine archaique |place=Paris |year=1974}}</ref>{{rp|at=part II, chapt. 5; It. tr. p. 329}} }} Radke<ref name=Radke1965/> has also proposed the possibility of *en-dhigh-et- grade 0 as in ''figulus'' (from IE stem DHEIG) as a nomen agentis meaning 'forming, shaping, generating from within', close to impelling.

To support his analysis, Anttila cites a medical term ''indigo/indigere'' meaning to drive bodily fluids, which is not attested in ancient texts. A hard tumor (scirosis) {{'}}''fit ex glutinoso et spisso humore quod confluendo ita membris indigitur ut insitus locis ubi considerit unum esse videatur''{{'}}:<ref>Quoted from: {{cite journal |last1=Niedermann |first1=Max |title=Les gloses médicales du Liber Glossarum |journal=Emerita |date=1944 |volume=12 |pages=29–83|postscript=. [{{p.|72}}.]}}</ref> the tumor is formed by humours that run together to a certain location by pushing the limbs from the inside so that it looks like one thing with the limb where they set. So tumors are pushed in as tubers and plants. Although the lexicographic evidence is flimsy, Anttila thinks it is important, owing to the close relation between medicine and religion. ''Indiges, indigere'' would hint to something coming out and bringing forth an end result (pushing into a state). To drive in results in something coming out. The richness of nature deities or their epithets (ahtu) brings about the beneficial result of life / food. The coordinator would be ''Iuppiter Indiges'', the Impeller corresponding to ''Zeus Ageetoor'' at Sparta.

Finally, Anttila considers the worst formal difficulty left, that of the suffix -et- and its vowel not rising in indigetes, as remarked by Radke.<ref name=Radke1965/>{{rp|page=&nbsp;151}} Similar formations are merges/mergitis (sheaf), ales/alitis (winged), mansues/mansuetis (tame), seges/segetis (cornfield, harvest, produce), two of which pertain to the growing and reaping domain; Anttila thinks that in archaic religious language, peculiar forms are often preserved. ''Indigitare'' evoking gods would be to drive them in for our needs and ''Sol Indiges'' would be the force that drives all of nature, particularly food. Radke,<ref name=Radke1965/> and Ancellotti and Cerri,<ref name=AncellottiCerri1996/> interpret the -t- form as a kind of active participle or agent noun and this would be the only possibility. Latte too gives as a background for ''indiges'' the general appeal to natural forces in Roman religion, e.g. the summoning of the Moon goddess and other instances.

==Archeological finds==
In 1958, an inscription was uncovered in Lavinium dating to the 3rd&nbsp;century&nbsp;BCE, reading ''Lare Aineia.'' In 1971, a temple built over a princely [[cenotaph]] in the Oriental style of the 7th&nbsp;century&nbsp;BCE{{clarify|date=September 2010}} was also discovered, probably on the site of a ''[[heroon]]'' described by [[Dionysius Halicarnassus]].<ref name=DionHali_RA/>{{rp|at=I, 64, 5}}<ref>{{cite journal |first=P. |last=Sommella |year=1974 |title=Das Heroon des Aeneas und die Topographie des antiken Lavinium |journal=Gymnasium |volume=81 |issue=4 |pages=273 ff}}</ref>{{efn|This indicates the Latin saga of Aeneas must have spread and developed between the 6th and 5th centuries probably around the sanctuaries of Lavinium and concomitant with the first Greek versions of the coming of Aeneas to Italy, Hellanicus in Dionysius.<ref name=DionHali_RA/>{{rp|at=I 48}}<ref>{{cite book |first1=Y. |last1=Bonnefoy |first2=W. |last2=Doniger |title=Roman and European Mythology |place=Chicago, IL |year=1992 |page=57}}</ref>}} This would support an ancient assimilation of Aeneas to ''Indiges Pater''.

==See also==
* [[Novensiles]]
* ''[[Dii Consentes]]''

==Footnotes==
{{notelist|1}}

==References==
{{Reflist|25em}}

===Works cited===
* {{cite book |first=Raimo |last=Anttila |title=Greek and Indo-European Etymology in Action: Proto-Indo-European ''*aǵ-'' |series=Current Issues in Linguistic Theory |volume=200 |location = Amsterdam |publisher=John Benjamins |year=2000 |doi=10.1075/cilt.200|isbn=978-90-272-3707-1 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Di Indigetes}}
[[Category:Roman deities]]
[[Category:Ancient Roman religion]]