L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano I f y o u ' v e b e e n t o Rome, you know the Eternal City loves her cats. The cat colony at T o r r e A r g e n t i n a i s world-famous, and visitors to the Colosseum, or the Fori Imperiali can testify their presence is well-established in these two famous archaeo- logical symbols of the city, too. T h e l o v e s t o r y b e t w e e n R o m e a n d i l g a t t o i s w e l l rooted in history. Famously worshipped as a divinity in Egypt, where they were often embalmed and mummified just like people, cats were also known by the Etruscans, as attested by small cat-like s t a t u e t t e s u n e a r t h e d b y a r c h a e o l o g i s t s . T h e Romans met them for the first time during their many military campaigns: we can e a s i l y i m a g i n e s o l d i e r s befriending cats, letting them hunt mice in the camp, and sharing food and a bed with them. In fact, cats were so popular in the army that it wasn't unusual to see legions using the image of a cat as their symbol. O u r R o m a n a n c e s t o r s a p p r e c i a t e d c a t s f o r t h e i r ability in catching mice, but it took them a little while: just like the Greeks, the Romans would use other mammals to keep their homes, streets, a n d b a r n s v e r m i n - f r e e , weasels and martens being t h e m o s t c o m m o n . S o o n , however, they realized cats were not only good hunters, but also affectionate to their humans and that's why they quickly became house pets. Also Pliny the Elder was fascinated by them, so much s o h e m e n t i o n e d t h e m i n his Naturalis Historia: "Cats too, with what silent stealthi- ness, with what light steps do t h e y c r e e p u p t o a b i r d ! " (Book X, 94). Felines were also loved for their mysterious nature and for their curious and inde- pendent personality, so much so that the goddess Liber- tas, the embodiment of free- dom, was often represented with a cat. However, our pre- cious friends were consecrat- e d t o a n o t h e r g o d d e s s , D i a n a w h o , t h e R o m a n s b e l i e v e d , b e s t o w e d u p o n them special magical pow- e r s . T h e c o n n e c t i o n w i t h Diana ran very deep because cats' pupils were often com- pared to the Moon itself and the ways it changes during i t s p h a s e s , a n d D i a n a — some of you may remember — was also the Roman god- dess of the Moon. She was also associated with nature and all animals, another rea- son for her to become the protector of all felines. After the introduction of the Egyptian cult of the cat- g o d d e s s B a s t e t i n t h e Empire, our furry friends became even more impor- tant. The divine figure of Bastet became one with that of Isis and the association s t r e n g t h e n e d t h e s a c r e d n a t u r e o f c a t s i n R o m a n society. Every city in the Empire had a temple dedi- cated to her, known as Sera- peum, where cats lived and roamed freely; visiting faith- ful would usually bring food for Isis' cats, an offering to t h e m a n d t o t h e i r d i v i n e m o t h e r . W e k n o w f r o m ancient sources that cat stat- ues often adorned the Sera- p e u m , b u t m o s t o f t h e m were destroyed by Christians in the Late Antique period. R o m e ' s a n c i e n t S e r a p e u m w a s l o c a t e d where, today, we find the S a n t o S t e f a n o d l C a c c o church, in the Pigna bor- ough. A small cat statue we can still see today on a cor- nice of Palazzo Grazioli, on the corner with Via della G a t t a , c o m e s f r o m t h i s ancient temple. Hunters, pets, and sacred animals: cats truly had a special place in the heart of the Romans, so much so that there were even cognomi- n a , t h e t h i r d n a m e o f Roman, which originally was only a nickname but then became hereditary, inspired b y t h e w o r d " c a t " i n Latin (felix or cattus). We h a d , f o r i n s t a n c e , Felicula and Felicla (which we can translate as she-cat or female kitty), and Cat- tus or Cattulus (cat and kit- ten). The deep connection and respect the Romans felt for cats is also mirrored in special laws, introduced in the Empire in the 1st centu- ry AD, to protect cats and safeguard their well-being across the Empire. And while they weren't f u l l y w o r s h i p p e d l i k e a divinity as it happened in E g y p t , c a t s r e m a i n e d a beloved and sacred presence i n t h e l i f e o f t h e a n c i e n t Romans: matrons loved to keep cats around them in t h e i r v i l l a s , s o i t w a s n ' t unusual for tradesmen and travelers to bring exotic cats b a c k t o R o m e f r o m t h e i r trips, to create new breeds. Just like today, house cats were cherished and pam- pered: for instance, it wasn't unusual to see them with s i l k c o l l a r s a r o u n d t h e i r n e c k s , e m b e l l i s h e d w i t h glass beads or even precious stones, or wearing embroi- dered harnesses. Usually, t h e s e a c c e s s o r i e s w o u l d match cats' fur color or, even more commonly, their eyes, which were considered the most beautiful of their fea- tures. A little trivia to conclude, even though we don't know if it does correspond to reali- ty or not. You may be famil- iar with the fact that many d o g s p e r i s h e d w i t h t h e i r people in Pompeii and Her- c u l a n e u m , v i c t i m s o f t h e tragic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Casts of their bod- ies were made, just like they were for humans, in later centuries, and we can still see them in Pompeii and in N a p l e s ' s A r c h e o l o g i c a l Museum. Curiously, no cats w e r e f o u n d . S o m e h a v e h y p o t h e s i z e d t h a t c a t s , known for their connection with the forces of nature, may have sensed the danger days in advance and fled the two cities, seeking refuge on h i g h e r g r o u n d s . I d o n ' t k n o w i f i t ' s t r u e , b u t I wouldn't expect anything less from such incredible, beautiful creatures. If you want to practice your Italian and learn more about cats in Rome, visit www.romanoimpero.com, a w e b s i t e d e d i c a t e d t o ancient Rome, rich in his- t o r i c a l i n f o r m a t i o n a n d curiosities, where I found inspiration for this article. A cat mosaic from Santa Maria Capua Vetere, today at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons agreement. Author: Massimo Finizio. License: CC BY-SA 2.0) Rome and its timeless love for cats LUCA SIGNORINI HERITAGE HISTORY IDENTITY TRADITIONS PEOPLE

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