Note 1392 — BOOK III. AN ACCOUNT OF COUNTRIES, NATIONS, SEAS, TOWNS, HAVENS, MOUNTAINS, RIVERS, DISTANCES, AND PEOPLES WHO NOW EXIST OR FORMERLY EXISTED. INTRODUCTION.

Supposing the circuit of the city to have been as he says, 132⁄5 miles, he must either make a great miscalculation here, or the text must be very corrupt. The average diameter of the city would be in such case about 41⁄2 miles, the average length of each radius drawn from the mile-column 21⁄4 miles, and the total amount 831⁄4 miles, whereas he makes it but 203⁄4 miles, or little better than an average of half-a-mile for each radius. We may also remark that the camp of the Prætorian cohorts here mentioned was established by the emperor Tiberius, by the advice of Sejanus. Ajasson’s translation makes the measurement to be made to twelve gates only, but the text as it stands will not admit of such a construction.