ABORIGINES, (Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Livy, Virgil); originally a proper name, given to a certain people in Italy, who inhabited the ancient Latium, or country now called Campagna di Roma. In this sense the Aborigines are distinguished from the Janigenæ, who, according to the false Berofus, inhabited the country before them; from the Siculi, whom they expelled; from the Grecians, from whom they descended; from the Latins, whose name they assumed after their union with Æneas and the Trojans; lastly, from the Aufonii, Volsci, Oenotrii, &c. neighbouring nations in other parts of the country. Whence this people came by the appellation, is much disputed. St. Jerom says, they were so called, as being, abque origine, the primitive planters of the country after the flood: Dion. of Halicarnassus accounts for the name, as denoting them the founders of the race of inhabitants of that country: others think them so called, as being originally Arcadians, who claimed to be earth-born, and not descended from any people. Aurelius Victor suggests another opinion, viz. that they were called Aborigines, q. d. Aberrigines, from ab "from," and errare "to wander;" as having been before a wandering people. Panfanas rather thinks they were thus called ab origo, from "mountains;" which opinion seems confirmed by Virgil, who, speaking of Saturn, the legislator of this people, says,
In gens indicile ac dispersam montibus aliis
Composuit, legesque dedit.—
The Aborigines were either the original inhabitants of the country, settled there by Janus, as some imagine; or by Saturn, or Cham, as others; not long after the dispersion, or even, as some think, before it: Or they were a colony sent from some other nation; who expelling the ancient inhabitants the Siculi, settled in their place.—About this mother-nation there is great dispute. Some maintain it to be the Arcadians, parties of whom were brought into Italy at different times; the first under the conduct of Oenotrius, son of Lycion, 450 years before the Trojan war; a second from Theffaly; a third under Evander, 60 years before the Trojan war: besides another under Hercules; and another of Lacedæmonians, who fled from the severe discipline of Lycurgus: all these uniting, are said to have formed the nation or kingdom of the Aborigines. Others will have them of barbarian rather than Grecian origin, and to have come from Scythia; others from Gaul. Lastly, others will have them to be Canaanites, expelled by Joshua.
The term Aborigines, though so famous in antiquity, is used in modern geography only occasionally as an appellative. It is given to the primitive inhabitants of a country, in contradistinction to colonies, or new races of people.