Greek Texts & Translations

AFTER the mouth of the Silaro, ^note is Leucania, and the temple of Argive Juno, founded by Jason. Near to this, within 50 stadia, is Posidonia. ^note Sailing thence, towards the high sea, is the island of Leucosia, ^note at a little distance from the main-land. It bears the name of one of the Sirens, who according to the mythology was cast up here, after having been precipitated with her companions into the deep. The promontory ^note of the island projects opposite the Sirenussae, ^note forming the bay of Posidonium. ^note After having made this cape there is another contiguous bay, on which is built the city which the Phocaeans called Hyela when they founded it, but others Ela from a certain fountain. People in the present day call it Elea. It is here that Parmenides and Zeno, the Pythagorean philosophers, were born. And it is my opinion that through the instrumentality of those men, as well as by previous good management, the government of that place was well arranged, so that they successfully resisted the Leucani and the Posidoniatae, notwithstanding the smallness of their district and the inferiority of their numbers. They are