Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/299

Chap. 30.] ACCOTJNT OF COUNTRIES. ETC. 266 The breadth of Illyrieum^ at its widest part is 325 miles, and its length from the ri^'er Arsia to the river Driiiius 530 ; from the Drinius to the Promontory of Acroceraunia Agrippa states to be 175 miles, and he says that the entire circuit of the Italian and Illyrian Gulf is 1700 miles. In this Gridf, according to the limits which we have drawTi, are two seas, the Ionian' in the first part, and the Adiiatic, which runs more inland and is called the Upper Sea. CHAP. 30. — ISLANDS OF THE IONIAN SEA AND THE ADRIATIC. In the Ausoniau Sea there are no islands worthy of notice beyond those which we have already mentioned, and only a few in the Ionian ; those, for instance, upon the Cala- brian coast, opposite Brundusium, by the projection of which ■ i harbour is formed ; and, over against the Apulian coast, Diomedia^, remarkable for the monument of Diomedes, and another island called by the same name, but by some Teutria. ^ Ajasson remarks here that the name of Illyricum was very vaguely used by the ancients, and that at diiferent periods, ditterent countries were so designated. In Pliny's time that region comprised the country between the Arsia and the mouth of the Drilo, bounding it on the side of Macedonia. It would thus comprehend a part of modern Carniola, with part of Croatia, Bosnia, Dalmatia, and Upper Albania. In later times this name was extended to Noricum, Pannonia, Moesia, Dacia, Macedonia, Thessalia, Achaia, Epirus, and even the Isle of Crete. 2 Here meaning that part of the Mediterranean whi-h lies between Italy and Greece south of tlie Adriatic. In more ancient times the Adi'iatic was included in the Ionian Sea, which was probably so called from the Ionian colonies which settled in Cephallenia and the other islands on the western coast of Greece. 3 More properly " Diomedese," being a group of small islands off the coast of Apulia now called Isole di Tremiti, about eighteen miles from the mouth of the Fortore. They were so called from the fable that here the companions of Diomedes were changed into birds. A species of sea- fowl (which Pliny mentions in B. x. c. 44) were said to be the descend- ants of these Greek sailors, and to show a great partiahty for such persons as were of kindred extraction. See Ovid's Metamorphoses, B. xiv. 1. 500. The real number of these islands was a matter of dispute with the ancients, but it seems that there are but three, and some mere rocks. The largest of the group is the island of San Dojiienico, and the others are San Nicola and Caprara. The small island of Pianosa, eleven miles N.E., is not considered one of the group, but is ncjt improbably the Teutria of PHny. San Domenico was the place of bunisluucnt of Julia, the licentious daughter of Augustus.