Usipĕtes, or Usipii, a people of Germany. Cæsar, Gallic War, bk. 4, ch. 1, &c.
Ustīca, a town in an island on the coast of Sicily, near Panormum. Horace, bk. 1, ode 17, li. 11.
Utens, a river of Gaul, now Montone, falling into the Adriatic by Ravenna. Livy, bk. 5, ch. 35.
Utĭca, now Satcor, a celebrated city of Africa, on the coast of the Mediterranean, on the same bay as Carthage, founded by a Tyrian colony above 287 years before Carthage. It had a large and commodious harbour, and it became the metropolis of Africa, after the destruction of Carthage in the third Punic war, and the Romans granted it all the lands situate between Hippo and Carthage. It is celebrated for the death of Cato, who from thence is called Uticensis, or of Utica. Strabo, bk. 17.—Lucan, bk. 6, li. 306.—Justin, bk. 18, ch. 4.—Pliny, bk. 16, ch. 40.—Livy, bk. 25, ch. 31.—Silius Italicus, bk. 3, li. 242.—Horace, bk. 1, ltr. 20, li. 513.
Vulcanālia, festivals in honour of Vulcan, brought to Rome from Præneste, and observed in the month of August. The streets were illuminated, fires kindled everywhere, and animals thrown into the flames, as a sacrifice to the deity. Varro, de Lingua Latina, bk. 5.—Dionysius of Halicarnassus, bk. 1.—Columella, bk. 11.—Pliny, bk. 18, ch. 13.
Vulcāni insula, or Vulcania, a name given to the islands between Sicily and Italy, now called Lipari. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 8, li. 422. They received it because there were there subterraneous fires, supposed to be excited by Vulcan the god of fire.
Vulcanius Terentianus, a Latin historian, who wrote an account of the life of the three Gordians, &c.
Vulcānus, a god of the ancients who presided over fire, and was the patron of all artists who worked iron and metal. He was son of Juno alone, who in this wished to imitate Jupiter, who had produced Minerva from his brains. According to Homer, he was son of Jupiter and Juno, and the mother was so disgusted with the deformities of her son, that she threw him into the sea as soon as born, where he remained for nine years. According to the more received opinion, Vulcan was educated in heaven with the rest of the gods, but his father kicked him down from [♦]Olympus, when he attempted to deliver his mother, who had been fastened by a golden chain for her insolence. He was nine days in coming from heaven upon earth, and he fell in the island of Lemnos, where, according to Lucian, the inhabitants, seeing him in the air, caught him in their arms. He, however, broke his leg by the fall, and ever after remained lame of one foot. He fixed his residence in Lemnos, where he built himself a palace, and raised forges to work metals. The inhabitants of the island became sensible of his industry, and were taught all the useful arts which could civilize their rude manners, and render them serviceable to the good of society. The first work of Vulcan was, according to some, a throne of gold with secret springs, which he presented to his mother to avenge himself for her want of affection towards him. Juno no sooner was seated on the throne, than she found herself unable to move. The gods attempted to deliver her by breaking the chains which held her, but to no purpose, and Vulcan alone had the power to set her at liberty. Bacchus intoxicated him, and prevailed upon him to come to Olympus, where he was reconciled to his parents. Vulcan has been celebrated by the ancient poets for the ingenious works and automatical figures which he made, and many speak of two golden statues, which not only seemed animated, but which walked by his side, and even assisted him in the working of metals. It is said that, at the request of Jupiter, he made the first woman that ever appeared on earth, well known under the name of Pandora. See: [Pandora]. The Cyclops of Sicily were his ministers and attendants, and with him they fabricated not only the thunderbolts of Jupiter, but also arms for the gods and the most celebrated heroes. His forges were supposed to be under mount Ætna, in the island of Sicily, as well as in every part of the earth where there were volcanoes. The most known of the works of Vulcan which were presented to mortals are the arms of Achilles, those of Æneas, the shield of Hercules described by Hesiod, a collar given to [♠]Hermione the wife of Cadmus, and a sceptre, which was in the possession of Agamemnon king of Argos and Mycenæ. The collar proved fatal to all those that wore it, but the sceptre, after the death of Agamemnon, was carefully preserved at Cheronæa, and regarded as a divinity. The amours of Vulcan are not numerous. He demanded Minerva from Jupiter, who had promised him in marriage whatever goddess he should choose, and when she refused his addresses, he attempted to offer her violence. Minerva resisted with success, though there remained on her body some marks of Vulcan’s passion, which she threw down upon earth wrapped up in wool. See: [♣]Erichthonius. This disappointment in his love was repaired by Jupiter, who gave him one of the Graces. Venus is universally acknowledged to have been the wife of Vulcan; but her infidelity is well known, as well as her amours with Mars, which were discovered by Phœbus, and exposed to the gods by her own husband. See: [Alectryon]. The worship of Vulcan was well established, particularly in Egypt, at Athens, and at Rome. It was usual, in the sacrifices that were offered to him, to burn the whole victim, and not reserve part of it, as in the immolations to the rest of the gods. A calf and a boar pig were the principal victims offered. Vulcan was represented as covered with sweat, blowing with his nervous arm the fires of his forges. His breast was hairy, and his forehead was blackened with smoke. Some represent him lame and deformed, holding a hammer raised in the air, ready to strike; while with the other hand he turns, with pincers, a thunderbolt on his anvil, for which an eagle waits by his side to carry it to Jupiter. He appears on some monuments with a long beard, dishevelled hair, half naked, and a small round cap on his head, while he holds a hammer and pincers in his hand. The Egyptians represented him under the figure of a monkey. Vulcan has received the names of Mulciber, Pamphanes, Clytotechnes, Pandamator, Cyllopodes, Chalaipoda, &c., all expressive of his lameness and his profession. He was father of Cupid by Venus; of Cæculus, Cecrops, Cacus, Periphetes, Cercyon, Ocrisia, &c. Cicero speaks of more than one deity of the name of Vulcan. One he calls son of Cœlus and father of Apollo by Minerva; the second he mentions is son of the Nile, and called Phtas by the Egyptians; the third was the son of Jupiter and Juno, and fixed his residence in Lemnos; and the fourth who built his forges in the Lipari islands was son of Menalius. Vulcan seems to have been admitted into heaven more for ridicule than any other purpose. He seems to be the great cuckold of Olympus, and even his wife is represented as laughing at his deformities, and mimicking his lameness to gain the smiles of her lovers. Hesiod, Theogony & Shield of Heracles, lis. 140 & 320.—Apollodorus, bk. 1, ch. 3, &c.—Homer, Iliad, bk. 1, li. 57; bk. 15, li. 18; bk. 11, li. 397, &c.—Diodorus, bk. 5.—Pausanias, bk. 1, ch. 20; bk. 3, ch. 17.—Cicero, de Natura Deorum, bk. 3, ch. 22.—Herodotus, bks. 2 & 3.—Varro, de Lingua Latina.—Virgil, Æneid, 7, &c.
[♦] ‘Olympas’ replaced with ‘Olympus’
[♠] ‘Hermoine’ replaced with ‘Hermione’