Campus Martius, a large plain at Rome, without the walls of the city, where the Roman youths performed their exercises, and learnt to wrestle and box, to throw the discus, hurl the javelin, ride a horse, drive a chariot, &c. The public assemblies were held there, and the officers of state chosen, and audience given to foreign ambassadors. It was adorned with statues, columns, arches, and porticoes, and its pleasant situation made it very frequented. It was called Martius because dedicated to Mars. It was sometimes called Tiberinus, from its closeness to the Tiber. It was given to the Roman people by a vestal virgin; but they were deprived of it by Tarquin the Proud, who made it a private field, and sowed corn in it. When Tarquin was driven from Rome the people recovered it, and threw away into the Tiber the corn which had grown there, deeming it unlawful for any man to eat of the produce of that land. The sheaves which were thrown into the river stopped in a shallow ford, and by the accumulated collection of mud became firm ground, and formed an island, which was called the Holy Island, or the island of Æsculapius. Dead carcases were generally burnt in the Campus Martius. Strabo, bk. 5.—Livy, bk. 2, ch. 5; bk. 6, ch. 20.
Camulogīnus, a Gaul raised to great honours by Cæsar, for his military abilities. Cæsar, Gallic War, bk. 7, ch. 57.
Camŭlus, a surname of Mars among the Sabines and Etrurians.
Cana, a city and promontory of Æolia. Mela, bk. 1, ch. 18.
Canăce, a daughter of Æolus and Enaretta, who became enamoured of her brother Macareus, by whom she had a child, whom she exposed. The cries of the child discovered the mother’s incest; and Æolus sent his daughter a sword, and obliged her to kill herself. Macareus fled, and became a priest of Apollo at Delphi. Some say that Canace was ravished by Neptune, by whom she had many children, among whom were Epopeus, Triops, and Alous. Apollodorus, bk. 1.—Hyginus, fables 238 & 242.—Ovid, Heroides, poem 11; Tristia, bk. 2, li. 384.
Canăche, one of Actæon’s dogs.
Canăchus, a statuary of Sicyon. Pausanias, bk. 6, ch. 9.
Canæ, a city of Locris,——of Æolia.
Canārii, a people near mount Atlas in Africa, who received this name because they fed in common with their dogs. The islands which they inhabited were called Fortunate by the ancients, and are now known by the name of the Canaries. Pliny, bk. 5, ch. 1.
Canăthus, a fountain of Nauplia, where Juno yearly washed herself to recover her infant purity. Pausanias, bk. 2, ch. 38.