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Show Italy an Ancient Nation. Italy may fairly claim to be senior among the nations of Europe bo far as its name is concerned. The peninsula penin-sula has been "Italia" almost as far back ns even legend reaches. According Accord-ing to Mommsen the "Itr.li" proper were the inhabitants of the southern part of the country. As to the origin of the name, there is the normal legend le-gend of a King Italus; but his name must have been pronounced Vitalus nr Vltulus, which means a bull-calf, and It is easy to recognize in it an , allusion to Italy as the land of cattle. |