| Pliny the Elder, Natural History (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Plin. Nat.]. | ||
| <<Plin. Nat. 3.13 | Plin. Nat. 3.14 (Latin) | >>Plin. Nat. 3.15 |
But more celebrated than all is Sicily, called Sicania by Thucydides, and by many writers Trinacria or Trinacia, from its triangular appearance. According to Agrippa it is 618 [Note] miles in circumference. In former times it was a continuation of the territory of Bruttium, but, in consequence of the overflowing of the sea, became severed from it; thus forming a strait of 15 miles in length, and a mile and a half in width in the vicinity of the Pillar of Rhegium. It was from this circumstance of the land being severed asunder that the Greeks gave the name of Rhegium [Note] to the town situate on the Italian shore.
In these Straits is the rock of Scylla, as also Charybdis [Note], a whirlpool of the sea, both of them noted for their perils. Of this triangle, the promontory, which, as we have already [Note]
mentioned, is called Pelorus, faces Scylla and juts out towards Italy, while Pachynum [Note] extends in the direction of Greece, Peloponnesus being at a distance from it of 440 miles, and Lilybæum [Note], towards Africa, being distant 180 miles from the promontory of Mercury [Note], and from that of Caralis in Sardinia 190. These promontories and sides are situate at the following distances from each other: by land it is 186 miles from Pelorus to Pachynum, from Pachynum to Lilybæum 200, and from Lilybæum to Pelorus 170 [Note].
In this island there are five colonies and sixty-three cities or states. Leaving Pelorus and facing the Ionian Sea, we have the town of Messana [Note], whose inhabitants are also called Mamertini and enjoy the rights of Roman citizens; the promontory of Drepanum [Note], the colony of Tauromenium [Note], formerly called Naxos, the river Asines [Note], and Mount Ætna, wondrous for the flames which it emits by night. Its crater is twenty stadia in circumference, and from it red-hot cinders are thrown as far as Tauromenium and Catina, the noise being heard even at Maroneum [Note] and the Gemellian Hills. We then come to the three rocks of the Cyclopes [Note], the Port of Ulysses [Note], the colony of Catina [Note], and the rivers Symæthus [Note] and Terias; while more inland lie the Læstrygonian Plains.
To these rivers succeed the towns of Leontinum [Note] and Megaris, the river Pantagies [Note], the colony of Syracuse [Note], with the fountain of Arethusa [Note], (the people in the Syracusan ter-
ritory drink too of the fountains of Temenitis [Note], Archidemia,
Magæa, Cyane, and Milichie,) the port of Naustathmus [Note], the
river Elorus, and the promontory of Pachynum. This
side [Note] of Sicily begins with the river Hirminius [Note], then follow the town of Camarina [Note], the river Gelas [Note], and the town
of Agragas [Note], which our people have named Agrigentum. We
next come to the colony of Thermæ [Note]
Agathyrnum, the colony of Tyndaris [Note], the town of Mylæ [Note], and then Pelorus, the spot at which we began.
In the interior there are the following towns enjoying Latin privileges, those of the Centuripini [Note], the Netini [Note], and the Segestani [Note]; tributary towns are those of the Assorini [Note], the Ætnenses [Note], the Agyrini [Note], the Acestæi, the Acrenses [Note], the Bidini [Note], the Cetarini [Note], the Cacyrini [Note], the Drepanitani, the Ergetini [Note], the Echetlienses [Note], the Erycini [Note], the Entellini [Note], the Enini [Note], the Enguini [Note], the Gelani [Note], the Gala-
tini [Note], the Halesini [Note], the Hennenses, the Hyblenses [Note], the Herbitenses [Note], the Herbessenses [Note], the Herbulenses, the Halicyenses [Note], the Hadranitani [Note], the Imacarenses, the Ipanenses, the Ietenses [Note], the Mytistratini [Note], the Magellini, the Murgentini [Note], the Mutycenses [Note], the Menanini [Note], the Naxii [Note], the Noæi [Note], the Petrini [Note], the Paropini [Note], the Phthinthienses [Note], the Semellitani, the Scherini, the Selinuntii [Note], the Symæthii, the
Talarienses, the Tissinenses [Note], the Triocalini [Note], the Tyraci- nenses, and the Zanclæi [Note], a Messenian colony on the Straits of Sicily. Towards Africa, its islands are Gaulos [Note], Melita, 87 miles from Camerina, and 113 from Lilybæum, Cosyra [Note], Hieronnesos [Note], Cæne [Note], Galata [Note], Lopadusa, Æthusa, written by some Ægusa, Bucinna [Note], Osteodes [Note], distant from Soluntum 75 miles, and, opposite to Paropus, Ustica.
On this side of Sicily, facing the river Metaurus, at a di- stance of nearly 25 [Note] miles from Italy, are the seven [Note] islands called the Æolian, as also the Liparæan islands; by the Greeks they are called the Hephæstiades, and by our writers the Vulcanian [Note] Isles; they are called "Æolian" because in the Trojan times Æolus was king there.
(9.) Lipara [Note], with a town whose inhabitants enjoy the rights of Roman citizens, is so called from Liparus, a former king who succeeded [Note] Æolus, it having been previously called Melogonis or Meligunis. It is 25 miles [Note] distant from Italy, and in circumference a little less. Between this island and Sicily we find another, the name of which was formerly Therasia, but now called Hiera, because it is sacred to Vulcan [Note]: it contains a hill which at night vomits forth
flames. The third island is Strongyle [Note], lying one mile [Note] to the east of Lipara, over which Æolus reigned as well; it differs only from Lipara in the superior brilliancy of its flames. From the smoke of this volcano it is said that some of the inhabitants are able to predict three days beforehand what winds are about to blow; hence arose the notion that the winds are governed by Æolus. The fourth of these islands is Didyme [Note], smaller than Lipara, the fifth Ericusa, the sixth Phœnicusa, left to be a pasture-ground for the cattle of the neighbouring islands, and the last and smallest Euonymos. Thus much as to the first great Gulf of Europe.
| Pliny the Elder, Natural History (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Plin. Nat.]. | ||
| <<Plin. Nat. 3.13 | Plin. Nat. 3.14 (Latin) | >>Plin. Nat. 3.15 |
