| Pliny the Elder, Natural History (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Plin. Nat.]. | ||
| <<Plin. Nat. 4.18 | Plin. Nat. 4.19 (Latin) | >>Plin. Nat. 4.20 |
Lying opposite to Thesprotia, at a distance of twelve miles from Buthrotus, and of fifty from Acroceraunia, is the island of Corcyra [Note], with a city of the same name, the citizens of which are free; also a town called Cassiope [Note], and a temple dedicated to Jupiter Cassius. This island is ninety-seven miles in length, and in Homer has the names of Scheria and Phæacia; while Callimachus calls it Drepane. There are some other islands around it, such as Thoronos [Note], lying in the direction of Italy, and the two islands of Paxos [Note] in that of Leucadia, both of them five miles distant from Corcyra. Not far [Note] from these, and in front of Corcyra, are Ericusa, Marathe, Elaphusa, Malthace, Trachie, Pythionia, Ptychia, Tarachie, and, off Phalacrum [Note], a promontory of Corcyra, the rock into which (according to the story, which arises no doubt from the similarity of appearance) the ship of Ulysses was changed.
Before Leucimna [Note] we find the islands of Sybota, and between Leucadia and Achaia a great number of islands, among which are those called Teleboïdes [Note], as also Taphiæ; by the natives, those which lie before Leucadia are called by the names of Taphias, Oxiæ, and Prinoessa [Note]; while those that are in front of Ætolia are the Echinades [Note], consisting of Ægialia, Cotonis, Thyatira, Geoaris, Dionysia, Cyrnus, Chalcis, Pinara, and Mystus.
In front of these, and lying out at sea, are Cephallenia [Note] and Zacynthus [Note], both of them free, Ithaca [Note], Dulichium [Note], Same [Note], and Crocyle [Note]. Cephallenia, formerly known as Melæna [Note], lies at a distance of eleven miles from Paxos, and is ninety-three miles in circumference: its city of Same has been levelled to the ground by the Romans; but it still possesses three others [Note]. Between this island and Achaia lies the island of Zacynthus, remarkable for its city of the same name, and for its singular fertility. It formerly had the name of Hyrie, and lies to the south of Cephallenia, at a distance of twenty-five miles; in it there is the famous mountain of Elatus [Note]. This island is thirty-six miles in circumference. At a distance of fifteen miles from Zacynthus is Ithaca, in which is Mount Neritus [Note]; its circumference in all is twenty-five miles. Twelve miles distant from this island is Araxus [Note], a promontory of the Peloponnesus. Before Ithaca, lying out in the main sea, are Asteris [Note] and Prote; and before Zacynthus, at a distance of thirty-five miles in the direction of the south-east wind, are the two Strophades [Note], by some known as the Plotæ. Before Cephallenia lies Letoia [Note], before Pylos the three Sphagiæ [Note], and before Messene the Œnussæ [Note], as many in number.
In the Asinæan Gulf there are the three Thyrides [Note], and in that of Laconia Theganusa [Note], Cothon, and Cythera [Note], with the town of that name, the former name of which island was Porphyris. It is situate five miles from the promontory of Malea [Note], thus forming a strait very dangerous to navigation. In the Gulf of Argolis are Pityusa [Note], Irine, and Ephyre; opposite the territory of Hermione [Note], Tiparenus, Aperopia [Note], Colonis [Note], and Aristera; and, opposite that of Trœzen, Calauria [Note], at a distance of half a mile, Plateis [Note], Belbina, Lasia, and Baucidias. Opposite Epidaurus is Cecryphalos [Note], and Pityonesos [Note], six miles distant from the mainland; and, at a distance of fifteen miles from this last, Ægina [Note], a free island, the length of which, as you sail past it, is eighteen miles. This island is twenty miles distant from Piræus, the port of Athens: it used formerly to be called Œnone. Opposite the promontory of Spiræum [Note], lie Eleusa [Note], Adendros [Note], the two islands called Craugiæ, the two Cæciæ, Selachusa Cenehreis, and Aspis; as also, in the Gulf of Megara, the four Methurides. Ægila [Note] lies at a distance of fifteen miles
from Cythera, and of twenty-five from Phalasarna, a city of Crete.
| Pliny the Elder, Natural History (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Plin. Nat.]. | ||
| <<Plin. Nat. 4.18 | Plin. Nat. 4.19 (Latin) | >>Plin. Nat. 4.20 |
