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

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

In effect it appears, that these indigetes were also called local gods (dii locales), or topical gods, which is the same thing; that the indigetes were ordinarily men deified, who indeed were in effect local gods, being esteemed the protectors of those places where they were deified; that Virgil joins patrii with indigetes, as being the same thing (Georg. i. ver. 498.), thus dui patrii, indigetes; and that the gods to whom the Romans gave the name of indigetes were, Faunus, Vesta, Æneas, Romulus, all the gods of Italy, Minerva at Athens, and Dido at Carthage. It is true, we meet with Jupiter indiges; but that Jupiter indiges is Æneas, not the great Jupiter, we may see in Livy (lib. i. cap. 3.); and in this last sense Servius assures us that indiges comes from the Latin in diis ago, I am amongst the gods.

Amongst these indigetes gods, there was none more celebrated, or more extensively worshipped, than Hercules.