Aborigines (mythology)

The Aborigines in Roman mythology are the oldest inhabitants of central Italy, connected in legendary history with Aeneas, Latinus and Evander. They were supposed to have descended from their mountain home near Reate (an ancient Sabine town) upon Latium, whence they expelled the Siceli and subsequently settled down as Latini under a King Latinus.^[1] The most generally accepted etymology of the word "aborigines" is that it derives from ab origine, according to which they were the original inhabitants of the country. This is inconsistent with the fact that the oldest authorities regarded them as Hellenic immigrants, not as a native Italian people.^[2] Other etymological explanations suggested are arborigines, meaning "tree-born," and aberrigines, meaning "nomads". Lycophron calls a people of central Italy, Boreigonoi.^[3]

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References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Aborigines". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press