Faunus

, a son of Picus, who is said to have reigned in Italy about 1300 years B.C. His bravery as well as wisdom have given rise to the tradition that he was son of Mars. He raised a temple in honour of the god Pan, called by the Latins Lupercus, at the foot of the Palatine hill, and he exercised hospitality towards strangers with a liberal hand. His great popularity and his fondne for agriculture made his subjects revere him as one of their country deities after death. He was represented with all the equipage of the satyrs, and was consulted to give oracles. Dionysius of Halicarna us , bk. 1 , ch. 7 .— Virgil , Æneid , bk. 7 , li. 47 ; bk. 8 , li. 314 ; bk. 10 , li. 55 .— Horace , bk. 1 , ode 17.