Читать книгу The Natural History of Pliny (Vol. 1-6) - Pliny the Elder - Страница 133

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The first islands that we meet with in all these seas are the two to which the Greeks have given the name of Pityussæ1464, from the pine-tree1465, which they produce. These islands now bear the name of Ebusus, and form a federate state. They are separated by a narrow strait1466 of the sea, and are forty-six1467 miles in extent. They are distant from Dianium1468 700 stadia, Dianium being by land the same distance1469 from New Carthage. At the same distance1470 from the Pityussæ, lie, in the open sea, the two Baleares, and, over against the river Sucro1471, Colubraria1472. The Baleares1473, so formidable in war with their slingers1474, have received from the Greeks the name of Gymnasiæ.

The larger island is 1001475 miles in length, and 475 in circumference. It has the following towns; Palma1476 and Pollentia1477, enjoying the rights of Roman citizens, Cinium1478 and Tucis, with Latin rights: Bocchorum, a federate town, is no longer in existence. At thirty miles’ distance is the smaller island, 40 miles in length, and 1501479 in circumference; it contains the states of Jamnon1480, Sanisera, and Magon1481.

In the open sea, at twelve miles’ distance from the larger island, is Capraria1482 with its treacherous coast, so notorious for its numerous shipwrecks; and, opposite to the city of Palma, are the islands known as the Mænariæ1483, Tiquadra1484, and Little Hannibalis1485.

The earth of Ebusus has the effect of driving away serpents, while that of Colubraria produces them; hence the latter spot is dangerous to all persons who have not brought with them some of the earth of Ebusus. The Greeks have given it the name of Ophiusa1486. Ebusus too produces no1487 rabbits to destroy the harvests of the Baleares. There are also about twenty other small islands in this sea, which is full of shoals. Off the coast of Gaul, at the mouth of the Rhodanus, there is Metina1488, and near it the island which is known as Blascon1489, with the three Stœchades, so called by their neighbours the Massilians1490, on account of the regular order in which they are placed; their respective names are Prote1491, Mese1492, also called Pomponiana, and Hypæa1493. After these come Sturium1494, Phœnice, Phila, Lero, and, opposite to Antipolis1495, Lerina1496, where there is a remembrance of a town called Vergoanum having once existed.