- chapter 26: Haruspicy and augury –
reliefs on ash urns, with the attribute of the lyre to aid in his prophesying and a youthful
assistant, Artile, by his side.^12 He is attacked by the Vipinas brothers, Avle and Caile,
who are thought to be real historical individuals, active at Rome, Vulci and Veii.^13 But
Cacu himself, like Umaele and unlike Tages and Vecuvia, does not seem to have emerged
in the sacred history of the Etruscans as an author of written prophecy. Vel Saties (Fig.
26.3) the head of an Etruscan noble family of Vulci, is certainly an historical fi gure,
Figure 26.2 Gold ring bezel with Lasa Vecuvia, from Todi. Early third century bce Rome,
Museo Etrusco di Villa Giulia (Photo: Courtesy of the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici
dell’Etruria Meridionale).Figure 26.3 Painting of Vel Saties, from the François Tomb, Vulci. Watercolor copy by C. Ruspi,
Vatican Museums (after Buranelli, 1992, 85).