a name which the ancients gave to some of their gods.

There are various opinions about the origin and signification of this word. Some pretend it was given to all the gods in general; and others, only to the demigods, or great men deified. Others say, it was given to such gods as were originally of the country, or rather such as were the gods of the country that bore this name; and others again hold it was ascribed to such gods as were patrons and protectors of particular cities. Lastly, others hold indigetes to be derived from inde genitus or in loco degenis, or from inde and ago, for dego, "I live, I inhabit?" which last opinion seems the most probable.

In effect it appears, 1. That these indigetes were also called local gods (dii locates), or topical gods, which is the same thing. 2. The indigetes were ordinarily men deified, who indeed were in effect local gods, being esteemed the protectors of those places where they were deified; so that the second and third opinions are very consistent. 3. Virgil joins patrii with indigetes, as being the same thing, Georg. i. ver. 498. "Dii patrii indigetes." 4. The gods to whom the Romans gave the name indigetes were, Faunus, Vepra, Aeneas, Romulus, all the gods of Italy; and at Athens, Minerva, says Servius; and at Carthage, Dido. It is true, we meet with Jupiter indiges; but that Jupiter indiges is Aeneas, not the great Jupiter; as we may see in Livy, lib. i. cap. 3, in which last sense Servius affirms us, indiges comes from the Latin in diis ago, "I am among the gods."

Among these indigetes gods, there is none more celebrated, or more extensively worshipped, than HERCULES.