It seems to me probable that there was a Mercurius at Rome before the introduction of Hermes; but this cannot be proved. It seems likely that the temple-cult established in 495 B.C. was really that of Hermes under an Italian name, as in the parallel case of Ceres. This was one year later than the date of the Ceres-temple (above, p. 74). Footnote 475: Mercuriales, or Mercatores (Jordan, _Topogr._ i. 1. 278). They belonged to the collegia of the pagi. Footnote 476: See on March 17 and January 9. Footnote 477: i. 262 foll.; Ovid, _Fasti_, 3. 445; Gell. _N. A._ 5. 12. Footnote 478: _C. I. L._ i. 807; the dedication of an altar (Vediovei Patrei genteiles Iuliei) found at Bovillae. Footnote 479: Ovid, _Fasti_, 3. 429; Gell. 5. 12. It was this temple which had May 21 as its ‘dies natalis.’ Footnote 480: Liv. 31. 21. 12 (reading Vediovi for deo Iovi, with Merkel and Jordan). Footnote 481: Gell. l. c.; Preller, i. 264, and Jordan’s note. Footnote 482: Gell. 5. 12. The meaning of the expression is not clear. Paulus (165) writes: ‘Humanum sacrificium dicebant quod mortui causa fiebat’—which does not greatly help us. Preller reasonably suggested that the goat might be a substitutory victim in place of a ‘homo sacer’ or criminal (i. 265). Footnote 483: Above, p. 63. Footnote 484: _Fasti_, 5. 725. Footnote 485: _de Feriis_, xv. Footnote 486: Gell. 13. 23. Footnote 487: The Hephaestus-myth has been treated on the comparative method by F. von Schröder (_Griech. Götter u. Heroen_, i. 79 foll.), and by Rapp in _Myth. Lex._ It is of course possible that it may have been known to the early Italians, but what we know of Volcanus does not favour this. Footnote 488: Vitruvius, 3. 2. 2; it was ‘proxime portam Collinam.’ Footnote 489: See below, pp. 165, 223. Footnote 490: Liv. 34. 53; Aust, _de Aedibus_, p. 20. Footnote 491: This seems to have been the date among the Anauni of N. Italy as late as 393 A.D.: see the _Acta Martyrum_, p. 536 (Verona, 1731). (For the Anauni, Rushforth, _Latin Historical Inscriptions_, p. 99 foll.) Footnote 492: _Chron._ 70 foll.: a difficult bit of calculation. Footnote 493: Mommsen, l. c. Henzen, _Acta Fr. Arv._ xlvi-xlviii; Jordan on Preller, i. 420, and _Topogr._ i. 289, ii. 236. The latter would also identify Ambarvalia and Amburbium; but the two seem clearly distinguished by Servius (_Ecl._ 3.77). Footnote 494: p. 200. Huschke, _Röm. Jahr_, 63. Footnote 495: p. 5. See Jordan on Preller, i. 420, note 2; Marq. 200, note 3. Footnote 496: _Georg._ 1. 338 foll. Footnote 497: