Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/429

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Chap. 5.] ACCO^^'T of COrNTRIES, ETC. 395 pita, Melizita, ]ratera, Salaphita, Tusdrita Tiphica, Tunica', Theuda, Tagasta^ Tiga Ulusubrita, a second Vaga, Visa, and Zanla^ Of the remaining number, most of them aliould be called, in strictness, not only cities, but nations even ; such for instance as the Natabudes, the Capsitani^, the ilusu- lami, the Sabarbares, the Massyli^, the Nisives, the Vama- cures, the Cinithi, the Musuni, the jMarchubii'^ and the whole of GrcTtulia^ as far as the river Nigris^", which separates Africa proper from Ethiopia. CHAP. 5. (5.) — CTEENATCA. The region of CjTcnaica, also called Pentapolis", is ren- dered famous by the oracle of Hammon'-, which is distant 400 miles from the city of Cyrene ; also by the Fountain of 1 Now called El-Jcmma, according to Marcus. 2 From it modem Tunis takes its name. 3 The bii-th-place of St. Augustiu. It was to the north-west of Hippo Kegius.

  • In the vicinity of this place, if it is the same as the Tigisis mentioned

by Procopius, there were two columns to be seen in his day, upon which was wi-itten in the Phoenician language, " We fled from before the robber, Joshua the son of Xim."

  • There were two towns of this name in the proconsular province of

Africa. The first was situate in the country of Zeugitana, five days' journey west of Carthage, and it was here that Scipio defeated Hannibal. The other bore the svumame of Hegia or Royal, from being the fi'equcnt residence of the Numidian kings. It lay in 'the interior, and at the pre- sent day its site bears the name of 'Zowarin' or 'Zewarin.' ^ The ruins of Capsa still bear the name of Cafsa or Ghafsah. It was an important city m the extreme south of Numidia, situate in an oasis, in the midst of an arid desert abounding in serpents. In the Jugurthiuo war it was the treasury of Jugurtha, and was taken and destroyed by Marius ; but was afterwards rebuilt and made a colony. 7 They dwelt between the river Am])S!i(Ta or Wady-El-Ivebir and the Tusca or Wady-Zain, the westeni boundary of the Carthaginian territory. s Dwelling to the east of the mountain Zatyeus, now known as the Wanashrise, according to Shaw. » The ancients called by the name of ' Gojtulians' all the people of Africa who dwelt soutli of the iMauritanias and Nuniidia, as far as the line which, aceorthng to their ideas, sejiarated Africa from iEthiopia. ^^ The QuoiTa most probably of modem geographers. ^' So called, as mentioned below, from its five ])rincipal cities. ^■- Where Jupiter Amnion orHammon was worshiped under the form of a ram, the form he was said to have assumed when the deities wero dispersed in the ^r with the Giants. Ancient Ammonium id the pre- sent oasis of Siwah in the Libyan Desei't.