Velinus

Vĕlīnus lăcus or simply Vĕlī-nus,

• a lake in the Sabine territories, between Reate and Interamnum, Plin. 3, 12, 17, § 108; Verg. A. 7, 517: Rosea rura Velini, id. ib. 7, 712.—It gave its name to Vĕlīna trĭbus, the people who dwelt around this lake, Cic. Att. 4, 15, 9; Liv. Epit. 19 fin.; called also Velina, Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 52; Pers. 5, 73.

Vĕlīnus, a, um, v. Velia, III. 2.

1. Velīnus, a, um, s. Velia.

2. Velīnus, ī, m., See im Sabinischen, der, jährlich die Täler überschwemmend, vom Konsul Manius Kurius Dentatus abgeleitet wurde, j. Pie di Lugo, auch Lago delle Marmore, lacus Velini, Varro LL. 5, 71 u. r.r. 3, 2, 3: lacus Velinus, Cic. ad Att. 4, 15, 5. Plin. 2, 153 u. 226: Velinus lacus, Tac. ann. 1, 79: Plur. lacus Velini (Akk. lacus Velinos), die verschiedenen Ableitungskanäle des Velinus, Plin. 3, 108: fontes Velini, die Quellen od. weil der See mehrere Abteilungen hatte, die Zuflüsse des Velinus, Verg. Aen. 7, 517: Rosia rura Velini, das Tal des Velinus, Verg. Aen. 7, 712. Vgl. Preller in den Berichten der Sächs. Ges. der Wiss. 1855. S. 191 ff., der mit Recht das Vorhandensein eines von Mannert (Italien 1, 529 ff.) u. von Forbiger (Handb. der alten Geogr. 3, 512) angenommenen Flusses Velinus leugnet. – Dav.: A) Velīna tribus, die velinische Tribus, im Tale des Velinus, Cic. ad Att. 4, 15, 9. Liv. epit. 19: dies. bl. Velīna, ae, f., Hor. ep. 1, 6, 52. Pers. 5, 73. – B) Velīnia, ae, f., die Göttin Velinia, Varro LL. 5, 71.

Vĕlīnus, (13) a, um, v. Velia.

VELINUS

VELINUS (Velino,) a considerable river of Central Italy, which has its sources in the lofty group of the Apennines between Nursia (Norcia) and Interocrea (Antrodoco). Its actual source is in the immediate neighbourhood of the ancient Falacrinum, the birthplace of Vespasian, where an old church still bears the name of Sta Maria di Fonte Velino. The upper part of its course is from N. to S.; but near Antrodoco it turns abruptly to the W., pursues that direction as far as Rieti, and thence flows about NNW. till it discharges its waters into the Nar (Nera) about 3 miles above Terni (Interamna). Just before reaching that river it forms the celebrated cascade now known as the Falls of Terni or Cascata delle Marmore. This waterfall is in its present form wholly artificial. It was first formed by M‘. Curius Dentatus, who opened an artificial channel for the waters of the Velinus, and thus carried off a considerable part of the Lacus Velinus, which previously occupied a great part of the valley below Reate. There still remained, however, as there does to this day, a considerable lake, called the Lacus Velinus, and now known as the Lago di Piè di Lugo. It was on the banks of this lake that the villa of Axius, the friend of Cicero and Varro, was situated. (Cic. ad Att. 4.1. 5; Varro, R.R. 2.1, 8.) Several smaller lakes still exist a little higher up the valley: hence we find Pliny speaking in the plural of the VELINI LACUS (Plin. Nat. 3.12. s. 17; Tac. Ann. 1.79; Vib. Seq. p. 24.) The character and conformation of the lower valley of the Velinus are fully described in the article REATE Pliny has made a complete confusion in his description of the Nar and Velinus. [NAR] The latter river receives near Rieti two considerable streams, the Salto and the Turano: the ancient name of the first is unknown to us, but the second is probably the Tolenus of Ovid. (Fast. 6.565.) It flows from the mountain district once occupied by the Aequiculi, and which still retains the name of Cicolano. [TOLENUS]

[E.H.B]

Velīnus

Now the Velino; a river in the territory of the Sabines, rising in the central Apennines and falling into the Nar. This river in the neighbourhood of Reaté overflowed its banks and formed several small lakes, the largest of which was called Lacus Velinus (Piè di Lago, also Lago delle Marmore).