BOOK III. AN ACCOUNT OF COUNTRIES, NATIONS, SEAS, TOWNS, HAVENS, MOUNTAINS, RIVERS, DISTANCES, AND PEOPLES WHO NOW EXIST OR FORMERLY EXISTED. INTRODUCTION. (continued 2)
John Bostock translation
The twelve states of the Cottiani1955 were not included in the list, as they had shown no hostility, nor yet those which had been placed by the Pompeian law under the jurisdiction of the municipal towns.
Such then is Italy, sacred to the gods, such are the nations, such the cities of her peoples; to which we may add, that this is that same Italy, which, when L. Æmilius Paulus1956 and C. Attilius Regulus were Consuls, on hearing of the rising in Gaul, unaided, and without any foreign assistance whatever, without the help even of that portion which lies beyond the Padus, armed 80,000 horse and 700,000 foot. In abundance of metals of every kind Italy yields to no land whatever; but all search for them has been prohibited by an ancient decree of the Senate, who gave orders thereby that Italy shall be exempted1957 from such treatment.
CHAP. 25. (21.)—LIBURNIA AND ILLYRICUM.
The nation of the Liburni adjoins the river Arsia1958, and extends as far as the river Titus. The Mentores, the Hymani1959, the Encheleæ, the Buni, and the people whom Callimachus calls the Peucetiæ, formerly formed part of it; but now the whole in general are comprised under the one name of Illyricum. But few of the names of these nations are worthy of mention, or indeed very easy of pronunciation. To the jurisdiction of Scardona1960 resort the Iapydes and fourteen cities of the Liburni, of which it may not prove tedious if I mention the Lacinienses, the Stlupini, the Burnistæ, and the Olbonenses. Belonging to the same jurisdiction there are, in the enjoyment of Italian rights, the Alutæ1961, the Flanates1962, from whom the Gulf takes its name, the Lopsi, and the Varvarini; the Assesiates, who are exempt from tribute; and upon the islands, the Fertinates and the Curictæ1963.
Besides these, there are on the coast, after leaving Nesactium, Alvona1964, Flanona, Tarsatica, Senia, Lopsica, Ortopula, Vegium, Argyruntum, Corinium1965, Ænona, the city of Pasinum, and the river Tedanius, at which Iapydia terminates. The islands of this Gulf, with their towns, besides those above mentioned, are Absyrtium1966, Arba1967, Crexa, Gissa, and Portunata. Again, on the mainland there is the colony of Iadera1968, distant from Pola 160 miles; then, at a distance of thirty miles, the island of Colentum1969, and of eighteen, the mouth of the river Titus.
CHAP. 26. (22.)—DALMATIA.
Scardona, situate upon the river1970, at a distance of twelve miles from the sea, forms the boundary of Liburnia and the beginning of Dalmatia. Next to this place comes the ancient country of the Autariatares and the fortress of Tariona, the Promontory of Diomedes1971, or, as others call it, the peninsula of Hyllis, 100 miles1972 in circuit. Then comes Tragurium, a place with the rights of Roman citizens, and celebrated for its marble, Sicum, a place to which Claudius, the emperor lately deified, sent a colony of his veterans, and Salona1973, a colony, situate 112 miles from Iadera. To this place resort for legal purposes, having the laws dispensed according to their divisions into decuries or tithings, the Dalmatæ, forming 342 decuries, the Deurici 22, the Ditiones 239, the Mazæi 269, and the Sardiates 52. In this region are Burnum1974, Andetrium1975, and Tribulium, fortresses ennobled by the battles of the Roman people. To the same jurisdiction also belong the Issæi1976, the Colentini, the Separi, and the Epetini, nations inhabiting the islands. After these come the fortresses of Peguntium1977 and of Rataneum, with the colony of Narona1978, the seat of the third jurisdiction, distant from Salona eighty-two miles, and situate upon a river of the same name, at a distance of twenty miles from the sea. M. Varro states that eighty-nine states used to resort thither, but now nearly the only ones that are known are the Cerauni1979 with 24 decuries, the Daorizi with 17, the Dæsitiates with 103, the Docleatæ with 33, the Deretini with 14, the Deremistæ with 30, the Dindari with 33, the Glinditiones with 44, the Melcomani with 24, the Naresii with 102, the Scirtarii with 72, the Siculotæ with 24, and the Vardæi, once the scourges of Italy, with no more than 20 decuries. In addition to these, this district was possessed by the Ozuæi, the Partheni, the Hemasini, the Arthitæ, and the Armistæ. The colony of Epidaurum1980 is distant from the river Naron 100 miles. After Epidaurum come the following towns, with the rights of Roman citizens:—Rhizinium1981, Acruvium1982, Butua, Olcinium, formerly called Colchinium, having been founded by the Colchians; the river Drilo1983, and, upon it, Scodra1984, a town with the rights of Roman citizens, situate at a distance of eighteen miles from the sea; besides in former times many Greek towns and once powerful states, of which all remembrance is fast fading away. For in this region there were formerly the Labeatæ, the Enderini1985, the Sasæi, the Grabæi1986, properly called Illyrii, the Taulantii1987, and the Pyræi. The Promontory of Nymphæum on the sea-coast still retains its name1988; and there is Lissum, a town enjoying the rights of Roman citizens, at a distance from Epidaurum of 100 miles.
(23.) At Lissum begins the province of Macedonia1989, the nations of the Parthini1990, and behind them the Dassaretæ1991. The mountains of Candavia1992 are seventy-eight miles from Dyrrhachium. On the coast lies Denda, a town with the rights of Roman citizens, the colony of Epidamnum1993, which, on account of its inauspicious name, was by the Romans called Dyrrhachium, the river Aöus1994, by some called Æas, and Apollonia1995, formerly a colony of the Corinthians, at a distance of four miles from the sea, in the vicinity of which the celebrated Nymphæum1996 is inhabited by the barbarous Amantes1997 and Buliones. Upon the coast too is the town of Oricum1998, founded by the Colchians. At this spot begins Epirus, with the Acroceraunian1999 mountains, by which we have previously mentioned2000 this Gulf of Europe as bounded. Oricum is distant from the Promontory of Salentinum in Italy eighty2001 miles.
CHAP. 27. (24.)—THE NORICI.
In the rear of the Carni and the Iapydes, along the course of the great river Ister2002, the Rhæti touch upon the Norici2003: their towns are Virunum2004, Celeia, Teurnia, Aguntum2005, Vianiomina2006, Claudia2007, and Flavium Solvense2008. Adjoining to the Norici is Lake Peiso2009, and the deserts of the Boii2010; they are however now inhabited by the people of Sabaria2011, a colony of the now deified emperor Claudius, and the town of Scarabantia Julia2012.
CHAP. 28. (25.)—PANNONIA.
Next to them comes acorn-bearing Pannonia2013, along which the chain of the Alps, gradually lessening as it runs through the middle of Illyricum from north to south, forms a gentle slope on the right hand and the left. The portion which looks towards the Adriatic Sea is called Dalmatia and Illyricum, above mentioned, while Pannonia stretches away towards the north, and has the Danube for its extreme boundary. In it are the colonies of Æmona2014 and Siscia. The following rivers, both known to fame and adapted for commerce, flow into the Danube; the Draus2015, which rushes from Noricum with great impetuosity, and the Savus2016, which flows with a more gentle current from the Carnic Alps, there being a space between them of 120 miles. The Draus runs through the Serretes, the Serrapilli2017, the Iasi, and the Andizetes; the Savus through the Colapiani2018 and the Breuci; these are the principal peoples. Besides them there are the Arivates, the Azali, the Amantini, the Belgites, the Catari, the Cornacates, the Eravisci, the Hercuniates2019, the Latovici, the Oseriates, the Varciani, and, in front of Mount Claudius, the Scordisci, behind it the Taurisci. In the Savus there is the island of Metubarris2020, the greatest of all the islands formed by rivers. Besides the above, there are these other rivers worthy of mention:—the Colapis2021, which flows into the Savus near Siscia, where, dividing its channel, it forms the island which is called Segestica2022; and the river Bacuntius2023, which flows into the Savus at the town of Sirmium, where we find the state of the Sirmienses and the Amantini. Forty-five miles thence is Taurunum2024, where the Savus flows into the Danube; above which spot the Valdanus2025 and the Urpanus, themselves far from ignoble rivers, join that stream.
CHAP. 29. (26.)—MŒSIA.
Joining up to Pannonia is the province called Mœsia2026, which runs, with the course of the Danube, as far as the Euxine. It commences at the confluence2027 previously mentioned. In it are the Dardani, the Celegeri, the Triballi, the Timachi, the Mœsi, the Thracians, and the Scythians who border on the Euxine. The more famous among its rivers are the Margis2028, which rises in the territory of the Dardani, the Pingus, the Timachus, the Œscus which rises in Mount Rhodope, and, rising in Mount Hæmus, the Utus2029, the Asamus, and the Ieterus.
The breadth of Illyricum2030 at its widest part is 325 miles, and its length from the river Arsia to the river Drinius 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 Gulf, according to the limits which we have drawn, are two seas, the Ionian2031 in the first part, and the Adriatic, which runs more inland and is called the Upper Sea.
CHAP. 30.—ISLANDS OF THE IONIAN SEA AND THE ADRIATIC.
In the Ausonian 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 Calabrian coast, opposite Brundusium, by the projection of which a harbour is formed; and, over against the Apulian coast, Diomedia2032, remarkable for the monument of Diomedes, and another island called by the same name, but by some Teutria.
The coast of Illyricum is clustered with more than 1000 islands, the sea being of a shoaly nature, and numerous creeks and æstuaries running with their narrow channels between portions of the land. The more famous are those before the mouths of the Timavus, with warm springs2033 that rise with the tides of the sea, the island of Cissa near the territory of the Istri, and the Pullaria2034 and Absyrtides2035, so called by the Greeks from the circumstance of Absyrtus, the brother of Medea, having been slain there. Some islands near them have been called the Electrides2036, upon which amber, which they call “electrum,” was said to be found; a most assured instance however of that untruthfulness2037 which is generally ascribed to the Greeks, seeing that it has never yet been ascertained which of the islands were meant by them under that name. Opposite to the Iader is Lissa, and other islands whose names have been already mentioned2038. Opposite to the Liburni are some islands called the Crateæ, and no smaller number styled Liburnicæ and Celadussæ2039. Opposite to Surium is Bavo, and Brattia2040, famous for its goats, Issa with the rights of Roman citizens, and Pharia with a town. At a distance of twenty-five miles from Issa is Corcyra2041, surnamed Melæna, with a town founded by the Cnidians; between which and Illyricum is Melite2042, from which, as we learn from Callimachus, a certain kind of little dogs were called Melitæi; fifteen miles from it we find the seven Elaphites2043. In the Ionian Sea, at a distance of twelve miles from Oricum, is Sasonis2044, notorious from having been a harbour of pirates.
Summary.—The towns and nations mentioned are in number * * * *2045. The rivers of note are in number * * * *. The mountains of note are in number * * * *. The islands are in number * * * *. The towns or nations which have disappeared are in number * * * *. The facts, statements, and observations are in number 326.
Roman Authors quoted.—Turannius Gracilis2046, Cornelius Nepos2047, T. Livius2048, Cato the Censor2049, M. Agrippa2050, M. Varro2051, the Emperor Augustus2052 now deified, Varro Atacinus2053, Antias2054, Hyginus2055, L. Vetus2056, Pomponius Mela2057, Curio2058 the Elder, Cælius2059, Arruntius2060, Sebosus2061, Licinius Mucianus2062, Fabricius Tuscus2063, L. Ateius2064, Capito2065, Verrius Flaccus2066, L. Piso2067, Gellianus2068, and Valerianus2069.