Читать книгу The Natural History of Pliny (Vol. 1-6) - Pliny the Elder - Страница 136

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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 6181537 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 Rhegium1538 to the town situate on the Italian shore.

In these Straits is the rock of Scylla, as also Charybdis1539, a whirlpool of the sea, both of them noted for their perils. Of this triangle, the promontory, which, as we have already1540 mentioned, is called Pelorus, faces Scylla and juts out towards Italy, while Pachynum1541 extends in the direction of Greece, Peloponnesus being at a distance from it of 440 miles, and Lilybæum1542, towards Africa, being distant 180 miles from the promontory of Mercury1543, 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 1701544.

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 Messana1545, whose inhabitants are also called Mamertini and enjoy the rights of Roman citizens; the promontory of Drepanum1546, the colony of Tauromenium1547, formerly called Naxos, the river Asines1548, 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 Maroneum1549 and the Gemellian Hills. We then come to the three rocks of the Cyclopes1550, the Port of Ulysses1551, the colony of Catina1552, and the rivers Symæthus1553 and Terias; while more inland lie the Læstrygonian Plains.

To these rivers succeed the towns of Leontinum1554 and Megaris, the river Pantagies1555, the colony of Syracuse1556, with the fountain of Arethusa1557, (the people in the Syracusan territory drink too of the fountains of Temenitis1558, Archidemia, Magæa, Cyane, and Milichie,) the port of Naustathmus1559, the river Elorus, and the promontory of Pachynum. This side1560 of Sicily begins with the river Hirminius1561, then follow the town of Camarina1562, the river Gelas1563, and the town of Agragas1564, which our people have named Agrigentum. We next come to the colony of Thermæ1565, the rivers Achates1566, Mazara, and Hypsa; the town of Selinus1567, and then the Promontory of Lilybæum, which is succeeded by Drepana1568, Mount Eryx1569, the towns of Panhormus1570, Solus1571 and Himera1572, with a river of the same name, Cephalœdis1573, Aluntium1574, Agathyrnum, the colony of Tyndaris1575, the town of Mylæ1576, and then Pelorus, the spot at which we began.

In the interior there are the following towns enjoying Latin privileges, those of the Centuripini1577, the Netini1578, and the Segestani1579; tributary towns are those of the Assorini1580, the Ætnenses1581, the Agyrini1582, the Acestæi, the Acrenses1583, the Bidini1584, the Cetarini1585, the Cacyrini1586, the Drepanitani, the Ergetini1587, the Echetlienses1588, the Erycini1589, the Entellini1590, the Enini1591, the Enguini1592, the Gelani1593, the Galatini1594, the Halesini1595, the Hennenses, the Hyblenses1596, the Herbitenses1597, the Herbessenses1598, the Herbulenses, the Halicyenses1599, the Hadranitani1600, the Imacarenses, the Ipanenses, the Ietenses1601, the Mytistratini1602, the Magellini, the Murgentini1603, the Mutycenses1604, the Menanini1605, the Naxii1606, the Noæi1607, the Petrini1608, the Paropini1609, the Phthinthienses1610, the Semellitani, the Scherini, the Selinuntii1611, the Symæthii, the Talarienses, the Tissinenses1612, the Triocalini1613, the Tyracinenses, and the Zanclæi1614, a Messenian colony on the Straits of Sicily. Towards Africa, its islands are Gaulos1615, Melita, 87 miles from Camerina, and 113 from Lilybæum, Cosyra1616, Hieronnesos1617, Cæne1618, Galata1619, Lopadusa, Æthusa, written by some Ægusa, Bucinna1620, Osteodes1621, distant from Soluntum 75 miles, and, opposite to Paropus, Ustica.

On this side of Sicily, facing the river Metaurus, at a distance of nearly 251622 miles from Italy, are the seven1623 islands called the Æolian, as also the Liparæan islands; by the Greeks they are called the Hephæstiades, and by our writers the Vulcanian1624 Isles; they are called “Æolian” because in the Trojan times Æolus was king there.

(9.) Lipara1625, with a town whose inhabitants enjoy the rights of Roman citizens, is so called from Liparus, a former king who succeeded1626 Æolus, it having been previously called Melogonis or Meligunis. It is 25 miles1627 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 Vulcan1628: it contains a hill which at night vomits forth flames. The third island is Strongyle1629, lying one mile1630 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 Didyme1631, 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.