The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Geography of Strabo Vol. I., translated by H. C. Hamilton.

1693 Iliad xvi. 223.

1695 Iliad ii. 840, Hippothous led the tribes of the spear-skilled Pelasgians, of those who inhabited fertile Larissa.

1696 We have followed the example of the French translators in reading ᾤκησεν with all MSS. Groskurd and Kramer adopt the views of Xylander and Siebenkees in substituting ᾤκισεν.

1697 Oἱ τὴν Ἀτθίδα συγγράψαντες. Ἀτθὶς was a title given to their works by many authors who wrote on Athenian Antiquities, as Philochorus, Androtion, Amelesagoras, Hellanicus, &c.

1700 Ruins near Ansedonia.

1701 Coray here reads οὖν for οὐκ. Kramer considers the passage corrupt.

1702 The French translation here gives 1460, and a note by Gosselin.

1703 Σελήνη, the moon.

1704 The bay of Spezia.

1705 The mountains of Carrara.

1706 The Mediterranean.

1707 Other writers mention a river Macra, but none of them, as it appears, a district in Italy bearing that name. Kramer supposes that Strabo wrote ποτάμιον, and not χωρίον, the reading of all MSS.

1708 Near the mouth of the river Basiento.

1709 The ancient Arnus.

1710 Corresponding to the present Serchio, which discharges itself into the sea, and not into the Arno. The time when this change of direction took place is not recorded, but traces of the ancient name and course of the river remain in the Osari, which, after flowing a short distance through a marshy district, falls into the sea between the Serchio and Arno.

1713 Eighty-one years B. C.

1714 This was a regular business. A man was posted on a high place, from which he could see the shoals coming, and make a sign to the fishermen.

1716 The island of Elba.

1717 The French translation has 200 in text, while it states in a note that all manuscripts give 300, and continues to discuss the real distance at some length. Kramer says, in a note, that MS. Vatic. No. 482, has 200.

1718 Πλαταμῶνας is here adopted in preference to any attempt at translation. It is probable they were quarries of the cream-coloured limestone of the island.

1720 Gosselin supposes that the crystals of iron, abundant in the island of Elba, are here alluded to.

1721 The testimony of Diodorus is just to the contrary. The Corsican slaves appear better fitted than any others for performing useful services; their physical constitution being peculiarly adapted thereto. Diodor. Sic. l. v. § 13.

1722 None of these names are found in Ptolemy’s description of Corsica. Diodorus Siculus has names somewhat similar.

1723 It is uncertain to whom Strabo here alludes. The French translators are of opinion that he alludes to the chart of Agrippa.

1724 The French translators read with their manuscript 1394, περὶ τρισχιλίους, κ. τ. λ., about 3200.

1726 Cluvier is of opinion that the modern Palma di Solo corresponds to Sulchi.

1727 Some manuscripts read Diagebres.

1728 The nephew of Hercules, being the son of Iphiclus, his brother.

1729 That is, Corsica and Sardinia run in a line north and south, and Elba lies to one side; the παράλληλοι σχεδὸν αἱ τρεῖς is an example showing how happily a circumstance may be expressed in Greek, while no amount of labour will adapt an English equivalent.

1730 The real distance, according to Gosselin, is 115 miles.

1732 The Stagno d’ Orbitello.

1733 Situated in the marshy plain commanded by the heights of Corneto, between the Mignone and the Marta.

1734 This town stood on the site of the present S. Severa, at the mouth of the Rio-Castrica.

1735 The ancient Alsium occupied the site of the place now called Statua; below it are the vestiges of the Portus Alsiensis, at the embouchure of the Rio-Cupino, a little to the east of Palo.

1736 Torre Macarese.

1737 The Roman Lucina, in later times identical with Diana.

1738 About the year 384 before the Christian era.

1745 The French translation understands this to be the modern Ferenti, near Viterbo.

1746 Sta. Maria di Falari.

1747 Probably another name for Falerium.

1749 Castro, or Farnese, near Lake Mezzano.

1750 This ancient city was probably situated near the Isola Farnesia, about the place where Storta now stands.

1751 Fidenæ was situated on the left bank of the Tiber, near its confluence with the Anio, now the Teverone, 40 stadia from Rome. The ruins are near the villages Giubileo and Serpentina.

1752 Hodie Otricoli: the ancient town was situated nearer the Tiber than the modern.

1753 Monte di S. Silvestro.

1758 An aquatic plant, perhaps the Typha of Linnæus, used in making lamp-wicks, and for other purposes to which tow was applied.

1759 The downy substance growing on the flowering reed.

1760 The Lago di Vico or di Ronciglione.

1761 Lago di Bolsena.

1762 Now only marshes.

1763 Lago di Bracciano.

1764 All MSS. are corrupt at this word. It is now called Lago di Perugia.

1767 Apparently an interpolation; vide Kramer’s edition, vol. i. p. 358, n.

1773 No such city as this is mentioned in any other writer; the word as it now stands is evidently corrupt.

1775 The ancient Nar.

1777 Mevania stood at the junction of the Tinia (now Timia) and the Topino.

1778 Forfiamma, or Ponte-Centesimo, or the village of Vescia.

1779 Nocera Camellaria.

1783 Between Spoleto and Camerino.

1784 The left side of the Via Flaminia.

1788 Eugubbio, or Gubbio, where the celebrated inscriptions were found in 1440.

1790 Sabina and Latium.

1791 Probably Lamentana Vecchia.

1792 Groskurd considers this to be Amatrice.

1794 Interdoco, between Rieti and Aquila.

1795 Civita Tommassa, or rather Forcella.

1796 Monte Leone della Sabina.

1797 Chaupy considers this to be Rimane.

1799 He flourished about 216 years before the Christian era.

1800 Gosselin calls our attention to the difference between Strabo’s relation of these occurrences, and the events as commonly recounted by the Greek and Latin authors.

1801 Near the spot now called Paterno.

1802 Cluvier placed the ancient Alba on the east shore of Lake Albano, about Palazzuolo. Holstenius thinks that it was on the southern shore, in the locality of Villa-Domitiana. The Abbé de Chaupy places it farther to the east of Monte Albano.

1804 The sites of these places are much disputed.

1805 Kramer considers this 40 an interpolation.

1806 Usually Ambarvalia, sacrifices performed by the Fratres Arvales, who formed “a college or company of twelve in number, and were so called according to Varro, from offering public sacrifices for the fertility of the fields. That they were of extreme antiquity is proved by the legend which refers their institution to Romulus; of whom it is said, that when his nurse, Acca Laurentia, lost one of her twelve sons, he allowed himself to be adopted by her in his place, and called himself and the remaining eleven—Fratres Arvales. (Gell. vi. 7.) We also find a college called the Sodales Titii, and as the latter were confessedly of Sabine origin, and instituted for the purpose of keeping up the Sabine religious rites, (Tac. Ann. i. 53,) there is some reason for the supposition of Niebuhr, that these colleges corresponded one to the other—the Fratres Arvales being connected with the Latin, and the Sodales Titii with the Sabine element of the Roman state; just as there were two colleges of the Luperci, the Fabii and the Quinctilii, the former of whom seem to have belonged to the Sabines.

The office of the Fratres Arvales was for life, and was not taken away even from an exile or captive. They wore, as a badge of office, a chaplet of ears of corn fastened on their heads with a white band. The number given on inscriptions varies, but it is never more than nine; though, according to the legend and general belief, it amounted to twelve. One of their annual duties was to celebrate a three days’ festival in honour of Dea Dia, supposed to be Ceres.... Of this the master of the college, appointed annually, gave public notice from the temple of Concord on the Capitol. On the first and last of these days, the college met at the house of their president, to make offerings to the Dea Dia; on the second day they assembled in the grove of the same goddess, about five miles south of Rome, and there offered sacrifices for the fertility of the earth. An account of the different ceremonies of this festival is preserved in an inscription, which was written in the first year of the emperor Heliogabalus, (A. D. 218,) who was elected a member of the college under the name of M. Aurelius Antoninus Pius Felix. The same inscription contains a hymn, which appears to have been sung at the festival from the most ancient times.

Besides this festival of the Dea Dia, the Fratres Arvales were required on various occasions under the emperors to make vows and offer up thanksgivings, an enumeration of which is given in Porcellini. Strabo indeed informs us that, in the reign of Tiberius, these priests performed sacrifices called the Ambarvalia at various places on the borders of the Ager Romanus, or original territory of Rome; and amongst others, at Festi. There is no boldness in supposing that this was a custom handed down from time immemorial; and, moreover, that it was a duty of this priesthood to invoke a blessing upon the whole territory of Rome. It is proved by inscriptions that this college existed till the reign of the emperor Gordian, or A. D. 325, and it is probable that it was not abolished till a. a. 400, together with the other colleges of the pagan priesthoods.

The private Ambarvalia were certainly of a different nature to those mentioned by Strabo, and were so called from the victim hostia Ambarvalis that was slain on the occasion, being led three times round the corn-fields, before the sickle was put to the corn. This victim was accompanied by a crowd of merry-makers, (chorus et socii,) the reapers and farm-servants, dancing and singing, as they marched along, the praises of Ceres, and praying for her favour and presence while they offered her the libations of milk, honey, and wine. (Virg. Georg. i. 338.) This ceremony was also called a lustratio, (Virg. Ecl. v. 83,) or purification; and for a beautiful description of the holiday, and the prayers and vows made on the occasion, the reader is referred to Tibullus (ii. 1). It is perhaps worth while to remark that Polybius (iv. 21, § 9) uses language almost applicable to the Roman Ambarvalia in speaking of the Mantineians, who, he says, (specifying the occasion,) made a purification, and carried victims round the city and all the country.

There is, however, a still greater resemblance to the rites we have been describing, in the ceremonies of the Rogation or gang-week of the Latin church. These consisted of processions through the fields, accompanied with prayers (rogationes) for a blessing on the fruits of the earth, and were continued during three days in Whitsun-week. The custom was abolished at the Reformation in consequence of its abuses, and the perambulation of the parish boundaries substituted in its place. (Vide Hooker, Eccl. Pol. v. 61, 2; Wheatley, Com. Pray. v. 20. Bohn’s Standard Library edition.)

1807 The Camenæ, says Dr. Smith, were prophetic nymphs, and belonged to the religion of ancient Italy, although later traditions represent them as having been introduced into Italy from Arcadia. Two of the Camenæ were Antevorta and Postvorta; the third was Carmenta or Carmentis, a prophetic and healing divinity, who had a temple at the foot of the Capitoline hill, and altars near the Porta Carmentalis. The traditions which assigned a Greek origin to her worship at Rome, state that her original name was Nicostrata, and that she was called Carmentis fron her prophetic powers. (Serv. ad Æn. viii. 51, 336; Dionys. i. 15, 32.) According to these traditions, she was the mother of Evander, the Arcadian, by Hermes, and after having endeavoured to persuade her son to kill Hermes, she fled with him to Italy, where she gave oracles to the people and to Hercules. She was put to death by her son at the age of 110 years, and then obtained divine honours. Dionys. i. 31, &c.

1808 This name is written in Strabo sometimes Αἴκοι, sometimes Αἴκουοι; the Latin writers also named them differently, Æqui, Æcani, Æquicoli, &c.

1809 Privernates of Pliny; the chief city is now called Piperno.

1810 604 years B. C.

1811 Suessa surnamed Pometia, to distinguish it from Suessa Aurunca, is here alluded to. Its exact position does not appear to be known.

1813 Capo d’ Anzo.

1815 Monte Circello.

1816 According to Cluvier, Strabo was mistaken in making Latium extend to the country of the Peligni, as these latter were always separated from Latium by the Marsi.

1818 The vine to which the term arbustive or hautain is applied, which the French translators explain as a vine trained from the foot of a tree.

1819 Castor and Pollux.

1821 Storas, the Astura of Pliny.

1823 Hodie, the Porto di Paula, connected with the Lake of S. Maria.

1824 This does not appear to be in accordance with the statement of Dionysius Halicarnassius and Pliny, that the Ausonians anciently possessed the whole coast, from the Strait of Messina to the entrance of the Adriatic.

1825 Or mountainous.

1826 We should doubtless here read the Ufens, the modern Ufente.

1827 Βρεντέσιον, now Brindes.

1829 The ruins of this town are extant on either bank of the Garigliano, the ancient Liris.

1830 Rocca di Monte Dragone.

1831 Compare Horace, Satir. l. i. sat. 5.

1832 Tarracina and Formiæ.

1835 The Garigliano.

1838 Sezza. The French translators think this should be Vescia.

1840 Called also the Quirinal, and often Salara, according to Ovid.

1843 The Teneas of Strabo.

1844 ὁ Κλάνις, there were other rivers called Clanis as well as this.