Lake Nemi (Nemorensis Lacus) is a small circular volcanic lake in the Lazio region of Italy a few miles south of Rome, taking its name from Nemi, the largest town in the area, that overlooks it from a height. The lake is most famous for its sunken Roman ships. These ships were very large and technologically advanced for their time.

Lake Nemi in the Alban Hills has a rich mythic provenance. "Alban" is cognate with "Albi-gens", "lineage of the High, Shining Ones". In southern France, a Provencal cult of "Albigensians" provoked genocidal assault in late Medieval times.

Above the Lake stands a grove sacred to Diana, the Huntress, who bestrides the heavens with Orion (constellation of the Hunter, with a three-star Belt, the Pole Star at his head). From Diana's sanctuary a stream descends to Nemi, haunted by the water-nymph Egeria in league with a Rex Nemorensis, "Ruler of Woodlands" associated with Arthurian legends as "Fisher King" of the Grail Quest, with Diana his Lady of the Lake.

Egeria's stream to Nemi thus invokes fountains and wellsprings of Earth Goddesses' ever-flowing ("flow-ering") ruby-elixir Amrita Kali-- from Inanna of the Gilgamesh epic through Ishtar of Sumer to Cybele, the Sybil of Cumae, whose oracular Stones of Splendor "uttered" (gave birth to, as from Uterus) prophecies fulfilled in Roman Emperors as godheads.

So Caligula ("Bootsie") and Tiberius (from "Father Tiber"-- see --71.250.160.73 21:00, 12 July 2006 (UTC)--71.250.160.73 21:00, 12 July 2006 (UTC)JMacauley's "Lays of Ancient Rome") sailed Lake Nemi not merely to cool off in summer, but to assert themselves as Nemorensi, rulers aligning with the Stars, wedded to Earth's perpetual life-force. No doubt, such lore amused tyrants corrupt and cynical... but priests revered the Sacred Books, for Rome's imperial cult prescribed their livlihood.

When the Eternal City fell, its Eastern Empire inherited more Greek than Roman mythological motifs. Yet common themes persisted, acquiring patinas of Avalon and Celtic sea-isles of the Sidhe. In any case, the Emperors' gigantic floating villas remind us that Lake Nemi with Diana's Grove and Egeria manifested spirits that dwell with us yet.

External links

• Nemi Ships

Lakes of Italy