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Mefitis was an ancient Roman goddess. ==Overview== The etymology of the name ''Mefitis'' is controversial but according to the Italian linguist Alberto Manco the system of the epithets that identified the goddess from place to place would prove her relationship with a water-based dimension.〔Alberto Manco, "Mefītis: gli epiteti", AION Linguistica 31/2009, 301-312.〕 In Roman mythology, Mefitis (or Mephitis; Mefite in Italian) was the late personification of the poisonous gases emitted from the ground in swamps and volcanic vapors. "Mephitic", derived from ''Mefitis'', is now an adjective in the English language meaning "offensive in odour"; "noxious"; and "poisonous." In Italian, a mefite is also a ''solfatara'' or fumarole (i.e., a gaseous fissure) associated with the Roman Goddess ''Mefitis''. The feature giving rise to this term, the Solfatara volcano, is located in Italy along the Via Appia between Rome and Brindisi. There, the ancient Romans would rest on their travels and pay homage to the goddess by performing animal sacrifices using the fissure's deadly gases. Today, it lies near the village of Rocca San Felice in the province of Avellino (Campania region). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mefitis」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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