Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/257

Chap. 15.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTEIES, ETC. 223 which was called by the Athenians, when they founded it, Scylletiura. This part of Italy is nearly a peninsula, in con- sequence of the Gulf of Terinseum^ running up into it on the other side ; in it there is a harbour called Castra Hannibalis^ : in no part is Italy narrower than here, it being but twenty miles across. For this reason the Elder Dionysius enter- tained the idea of severing^ this portion from the main-land of Italy at this spot, and adding it to Sicily. The navi- gable rivers in this district are the Carcines"*, the Crotalus, the Semirus, the Arocas, and the Targines. In the interior is the toAMi of Petilia^, and there are besides, Mount Cli- banus^, the promontory of Lacinium, in front of which lies the island of Dioscoron', ten miles from the main-laud, and another called the Isle of Calypso, which Homer is supposed to refer to under the name of Ogygia ; as also the islands of Tiris, Eranusa, and Meloessa. According to Agrippa, the promontory of Lacinium^ is seventy miles from Caulon. (11.) At the promontory of Lacinium begins the second Gulf of Europe, the bend of which forms an arc of great depth, and terminates at Acroceraunium, a promontory of Epirua, from which it is distant^ seventy-five miles. We first come to the town of Croton'", and then the river ^ Now the Gulf of Saint Eufeniia. 2 " Hannibal's Camp." This was the seaport of Scyllacium, and ita site was probably near the mouth of the river Corace. 3 According to Strabo, B. vi., he intended to erect a high wall across, and so divide it fix>m the rest of Italy ; but if we may judge, from the use by Phny of the word " intercisam," it woidd seem that u was his design to cut a canal across tliis neck of land. •* According to Hardouin, the Carcincs is the present river Corace, the Crotalus the iUh, the Semirus the Simari, the Arocas the Croccliio, and the Targines the Tacina. ^ The present Strongolo, according to DMnville and Mannert. ^ The present Monte Monacello and Monte Fuscaldo are supposed to foma part of the range caUcd Chbanus. ' Meaning that it was sacred to Ca,stor and Pollux. Such are the changes effected by lapse of time that these two islands are now only bleak rocks. The present locahty of the other islands does not appear to be known. ^ Now Capo di Colonnc. ^ The real distance from Acroceraunium, now Capo Linguetta, is 153 miles, according to Ansart. ^" Or Crotona, one of the most famoiis Greek cities in the south of Italy. No ruins of the ancient city, said by Livy to have been twelve miles in circumference, are now remaining. The modern Cotrone occu- pies a part of its site. Pythagoras taught at this place.