| Pliny the Elder, Natural History (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Plin. Nat.]. | ||
| <<Plin. Nat. 4.34 | Plin. Nat. 4.35 (Latin) | >>Plin. Nat. 4.36 |
After passing the Durius, Lusitania [Note] begins. We here have the ancient Turdul [Note], the Pæsuri, the river Vaga [Note], the town of Talabrica, the town and river [Note] of Æminium, the towns of Conimbrica [Note], Collippo [Note], and Eburobritium [Note]. A promontory [Note] then advances into the sea in shape of a large horn; by some it has been called Artabrum [Note], by others the Great Promon-
tory, while many call it the Promontory of Olisipo, from
the city [Note] near it. This spot forms a dividing line in the
land, the sea, and the heavens. Here ends one side [Note]
was here. For, making a slight change in the name, they have placed at this spot the Arrotrebæ, whom we have previously spoken of as dwelling in front of the Celtic Promontory.
Mistakes have also been made as to the more celebrated
rivers. From the Minius, which we have previously mentioned, according to Varro, the river Æminius [Note] is distant
200 miles, which others [Note] suppose to be situate elsewhere,
and called Limæa. By the ancients it was called the "River
of Oblivion," and it has been made the subject of many
fabulous stories. At a distance of 200 miles from the
Durius is the Tagus, the Munda [Note] lying between them.
The Tagus is famous for its golden sands [Note]. At a distance
-- 1365 --
of 160 miles from it is the Sacred Promontory [Note], projecting
from nearly the very middle of the front [Note] of Spain. From
this spot to the middle of the Pyrenees, Varro says, is a
distance of 1400 miles; while to the Anas, by which we
have mentioned [Note] Lusitania as being separated from Bætica,
is 126 miles, it being 102 more to Gades.
The peoples are the Celtici, the Turduli, and, about the
Tagus, the Vettones [Note]. From the river Anas to the Sacred
Promontory [Note] are the Lusitani. The cities worthy of mention on the coast, beginning from the Tagus, are that of
Olisipo [Note], famous for its mares, which conceive [Note] from the
west wind; Salacia [Note], which is surnamed the Imperial
City; Merobrica [Note]; and then the Sacred Promontory, with
the other known by the name of Cuneus [Note], and the towns of
Ossonoba [Note], Balsa [Note], and Myrtili [Note].
The whole of this province is divided into three jurisdictions, those of Emerita, Pax, and Scalabis. It contains in
all forty-six peoples, among whom there are five colonies,
-- 1366 --
one municipal town of Roman citizens, three with the
ancient Latin rights, and thirty-six that are tributaries.
The colonies are those of Augusta Emerita [Note], situate on the
river Anas, Metallinum [Note], Pax [Note], and Norba [Note], surnamed Cæsariana. To this last place of jurisdiction the people of
Castra Servilia [Note] and Castra Cæcilia [Note] resort. The fifth jurisdiction is that of Scalabis [Note], which also has the name of
Præsidium Julium [Note]. Olisipo, surnamed Felicitas Julia [Note], is a
municipal city, whose inhabitants enjoy the rights of Roman
citizens. The towns in the enjoyment of the ancient Latin
rights are Ebora [Note], which also has the name of Liberalitas Julia [Note], and Myrtili and Salacia, which we have previously mentioned. Those among the tributaries whom it
may not be amiss to mention, in addition to those already [Note]
alluded to among the names of those in Bætica, are the
Augustobrigenses [Note], the Ammienses [Note], the Aranditani, the
Arabricenses, the Balsenses, the Cesarobricenses, the Caperenses [Note], the Caurenses [Note], the Colarni, the Cibilitani, the
Concordienses [Note], the Elbocorii, the Interannienses, the Lan-
-- 1367 --
cienses [Note], the Mirobrigenses, surnamed [Note] Celtici, the Medubrigenses [Note], surnamed Plumbarii, the Ocelenses [Note] or Lancienses, the Turduli, also called Barduli, and the Tapori.
Agrippa states, that Lusitania, with Asturia and Gallæcia,
is 540 miles in length, and 536 in breadth. The provinces of Spain, measured from the two extreme [Note] promontories
of the Pyrenees, along the sea-line of the entire coast, are
thought to be 3922 miles in circumference; while some
writers make them to be but 2600.
| Pliny the Elder, Natural History (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Plin. Nat.]. | ||
| <<Plin. Nat. 4.34 | Plin. Nat. 4.35 (Latin) | >>Plin. Nat. 4.36 |
