Murcia (mythology)
Encyclopedia
Murcia was a little known goddess in ancient Rome
. Her name occurs as a surname of Venus
.
According to Livy
she had a temple at the foot of the Aventine Hill
near to the Palatine Hill
. Murcus is said to have been an old name for the Aventine Hill
itself ; hence the adjective murtius (= murcius) was applied to the turning-posts of the Circus Maximus
, which was also situated in a valley between the Aventine and the Palatine Hills .
The name Murcia was linked to the name of the myrtle tree (Latin myrtus) by folk etymology, hence the spellings Murtia and Murtea. Christian writers, in their turn, connected Murcia with the adjective murcus or murcidus "lazy, inactive", thus interpreting her as a "goddess of sloth and laziness".
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. Her name occurs as a surname of Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
.
According to Livy
Livy
Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...
she had a temple at the foot of the Aventine Hill
Aventine Hill
The Aventine Hill is one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the twelfth rione, or ward, of Rome.-Location and boundaries:The Aventine hill is the southernmost of Rome's seven hills...
near to the Palatine Hill
Palatine Hill
The Palatine Hill is the centermost of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city...
. Murcus is said to have been an old name for the Aventine Hill
Aventine Hill
The Aventine Hill is one of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built. It belongs to Ripa, the twelfth rione, or ward, of Rome.-Location and boundaries:The Aventine hill is the southernmost of Rome's seven hills...
itself ; hence the adjective murtius (= murcius) was applied to the turning-posts of the Circus Maximus
Circus Maximus
The Circus Maximus is an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium and mass entertainment venue located in Rome, Italy. Situated in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills, it was the first and largest stadium in ancient Rome and its later Empire...
, which was also situated in a valley between the Aventine and the Palatine Hills .
The name Murcia was linked to the name of the myrtle tree (Latin myrtus) by folk etymology, hence the spellings Murtia and Murtea. Christian writers, in their turn, connected Murcia with the adjective murcus or murcidus "lazy, inactive", thus interpreting her as a "goddess of sloth and laziness".