Читать книгу The Natural History of Pliny (Vol. 1-6) - Pliny the Elder - Страница 188

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After passing the Durius, Lusitania3113 begins. We here have the ancient Turduli3114, the Pæsuri, the river Vaga3115, the town of Talabrica, the town and river3116 of Æminium, the towns of Conimbrica3117, Collippo3118, and Eburobritium3119. A promontory3120 then advances into the sea in shape of a large horn; by some it has been called Artabrum3121, by others the Great Promontory, while many call it the Promontory of Olisipo, from the city3122 near it. This spot forms a dividing line in the land, the sea, and the heavens. Here ends one side3123 of Spain; and, when we have doubled the promontory, the front of Spain begins. (22.) On one side of it lie the North and the Gallic Ocean, on the other the West and the Atlantic. The length of this promontory has been estimated by some persons at sixty miles, by others at ninety. A considerable number of writers estimate the distance from this spot to the Pyrenees at 1250 miles; and, committing a manifest error, place here the nation of the Artabri, a nation that never3124 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 Æminius3125 is distant 200 miles, which others3126 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 Munda3127 lying between them. The Tagus is famous for its golden sands3128. At a distance of 160 miles from it is the Sacred Promontory3129, projecting from nearly the very middle of the front3130 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 mentioned3131 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 Vettones3132. From the river Anas to the Sacred Promontory3133 are the Lusitani. The cities worthy of mention on the coast, beginning from the Tagus, are that of Olisipo3134, famous for its mares, which conceive3135 from the west wind; Salacia3136, which is surnamed the Imperial City; Merobrica3137; and then the Sacred Promontory, with the other known by the name of Cuneus3138, and the towns of Ossonoba3139, Balsa3140, and Myrtili3141.

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, one municipal town of Roman citizens, three with the ancient Latin rights, and thirty-six that are tributaries. The colonies are those of Augusta Emerita3142, situate on the river Anas, Metallinum3143, Pax3144, and Norba3145, surnamed Cæsariana. To this last place of jurisdiction the people of Castra Servilia3146 and Castra Cæcilia3147 resort. The fifth jurisdiction is that of Scalabis3148, which also has the name of Præsidium Julium3149. Olisipo, surnamed Felicitas Julia3150, is a municipal city, whose inhabitants enjoy the rights of Roman citizens. The towns in the enjoyment of the ancient Latin rights are Ebora3151, which also has the name of Liberalitas Julia3152, 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 already3153 alluded to among the names of those in Bætica, are the Augustobrigenses3154, the Ammienses3155, the Aranditani, the Arabricenses, the Balsenses, the Cæsarobricenses, the Caperenses3156, the Caurenses3157, the Colarni, the Cibilitani, the Concordienses3158, the Elbocorii, the Interannienses, the Lancienses3159, the Mirobrigenses, surnamed3160 Celtici, the Medubrigenses3161, surnamed Plumbarii, the Ocelenses3162 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 extreme3163 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.