CAERE, an ancient city of Etruria (mod. Cerveteri, i.e., Caere vetus), about 5m. from the sea coast and about 20m. N.W. of Rome, directly reached by a branch road from the Via Aurelia. Ancient writers tell us that its original Pelasgian name was Agylla, and that the Etruscans took it and called it Caere, but the former name lasted on into later times as well as Caere. It was one of the twelve cities of Etruria and had much trade through its port Pyr gos (q.v.). After the invasion of the Gauls in 390 B.C., the vestal virgins and the sacred objects in their custody were conveyed to Caere for safety, from which some derive the word caerimonia, ceremony. A treaty was made between Rome and Caere in the same year. In 353, however, Caere took up arms against Rome out of friendship for Tarquinii, but was defeated and partially incor porated in the Roman state without internal autonomy or voting rights for its members. The status is known as the ins Caeritum, and Caere was the first of a class of such municipalities. Under Augustus and Tiberius its prosperity was to a certain extent re stored, and inscriptions speak of its municipal officials (the chief of them called dictator) and its town council, which had the title of senates. In the middle ages, however, it sank in importance, and early in the 13th century, a part of the inhabitants founded Caere novum (mod. Ceri) 3m. to the east.
The town lay on a hill of tufa, running from north-east to south-west, isolated except on the north-east, and about 3ooft. above sea-level. The modern town, at the western extremity, probably occupies the site of the acropolis. There seem to have been eight gates in the circuit of the city walls which was about 4m. in length. In the theatre many inscriptions and statues of emperors were found. The necropolis on the hill to the north west, known as the Banditaccia, is far more imposing : it has the aspect of a veritable city of the dead, the tombs being in rows divided by paved streets. The larger tomb chambers are hewn in the rock and covered by mounds, but though many tombs have been excavated they are estimated at only 21% of the whole. Several of them are interesting from their architectural and decorative details. The most important tomb of all, the Regolini Galassi tomb (taking its name from its discoverers), which lies south-west of the ancient city, is a narrow rock-hewn chamber about 6oft. long, lined with masonry, the sides converging to form the roof. The objects found in it (a chariot, a bed, silver gob lets with reliefs, rich gold ornaments, etc.) are now in the Etruscan Museum at the Vatican : they are attributed to about the middle of the seventh century B.C.
See Villanovans and Early Etruscans, 195 sqq. (Oxford, 1924) ; Studi Etruschi, 145 sqq. (Florence, 1927).