Strabo, Geography (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [Str.]. | ||
<<Str. 6.2.3 | Str. 6.2.5 (Greek English(2)) | >>Str. 6.2.7 |
Archaism, sailing from Corinth, founded Syracuse about
the same period [Note]
preferred wealth and Myscellus health, upon which the oracle
assigned Syracuse to the former to found, and Crotona to the
latter. And certainly, in like manner as it fell out that the
Crotoniatæ should inhabit a state so notable for salubrity as
we have described, [Note] so such great riches have accrued to the
Syracusans that their name has been embodied in the proverb
applied to those who have too great wealth, viz. that they
have not yet attained to a tithe of the riches of the Syracusans. While Archias was on his voyage to Sicily, he left
Chersicrates, a chief of the race of the Heracleidæ, [Note] with a
part of the expedition to settle the island now called Corcyra, [Note]
but anciently called Scheria, and he, having expelled the Liburni who possessed it, established his colony in the island.
Archias, pursuing his route, met with certain Dorians at
Zephyrium, [Note] come from Sicily, and who had quitted the company of those who had founded Megara; these he took with
him, and in conjunction with them founded Syracuse. The city
flourished on account of the fertility [Note]
the first of the barbarians that are considered to have been
settlers in Sicily. It seems probable that Morgantium [Note] was
founded by the Morgetes. Formerly it was a city, but now
it is not. When the Carthaginians [Note]
enclosed by a wall of 180 [Note] stadia, but there being no
great need that it should fill this extensive circle, he thought
it expedient to fortify in a better way the thickly inhabited
portion lying next the island of Ortygia, the circumference of
which by itself equals that of an important city. Ortygia is
connected to the mainland by a bridge, and [boasts of] the
fountain Arethusa, which springs in such abundance as to
form a river at once, and flows into the sea. They say that
it is the river Alpheus [Note] which rises in the Peloponnesus, and
that it flows through the land beneath the sea [Note]
where the Arethusa rises and flows into the sea. Some such
proofs as these are given in .upport of the fact. A certain
chalice having fallen into the river at Olympia was cast up
by the springs of Arethusa; the fountain too is troubled by
the sacrifices of oxen at Olympia. And Pindar, following
such reports, thus sings,
Ortygia, revered place of reappearing [Note]
Timæus [Note] the historian advances these accounts in like manner with Pindar. Undoubtedly if before reaching the sea
the Alpheus were to fall into some chasm, [Note] there would be a
probability that it continued its course from thence to Sicily,
preserving its potable water unmixed with the sea; but since
the mouth of the river manifestly falls into the sea, and there
does not appear any opening in the bed of the sea there, which
would be capable of imbibing the waters of the river, (although
even if there were they could not remain perfectly fresh, still
it might be possible to retain much of the character of fresh
water, if they were presently to be swallowed down into a
passage running below the earth which forms the bed of the
sea,) it is altogether impossible; and this the water of Arethusa clearly proves, being perfectly fit for beverage; but
of the Alpheus,
The offset of renowned Syracuse. [Note]
that the flow of the river should remain compact through so
long a course, not mixing with the sea until it should fall
into the fancied channel, is entirely visionary; for we can
scarcely credit it of the Rhone, the body of the waters of which
remains compact during its passage through the lake, and
preserves a visible course, but in that instance both the distance is short and the lake is not agitated by waves like the
sea, but in this case of the Alpheus, [Note] where there are great
storms and the waters are tossed with violence, the supposition is by no means worthy of attention. The fable of the
chalice being carried over is likewise a mere fabrication, for
it is not calculated for transfer, nor is it by any means probable it should be washed away so far, nor yet by such diffi-
cult passages. Many rivers, however, and in many parts of
the world, flow beneath the earth, but none for so great a
distance.—Still, although there may be no impossibility in
this circumstance, yet the above-mentioned accounts are altogether impossible, and almost as absurd as the fable related
of the Inachus: this river, as Sophocles [Note] feigns,
Flowing from the heights of Pindus and Lacmus, passes from the
country of the Perrhœbi [Note] to that of the Amphilochi [Note] and the Acarnanians, and mingles its waters with the Achelous: [Note]
and further on [he says],
Thence to Argos, cutting through the waves, it comes to the territory
of Lyrceius.
Those who would have the river Inopus to be a branch of
the Nile flowing to Delos, exaggerate this kind of marvel to
the utmost. Zoïlus the rhetorician, in his Eulogium of the
people of Tenedos, says that the river Alpheus flows from
Tenedos: yet this is the man who blames Homer for fabulous
writing. Ibycus also says that the Asopus, a river of Sicyon, [Note]
flows from Phrygia. Hecatæus is more rational, who says
that the Inachus of the Amphilochi, which flows from Mount
Lacmus, from whence also the æas [Note] descends, was distinct
from the river of like name in Argolis, and was so named after
Amphilochus, from whom likewise the city of Argos was de-
nominated Amphilochian. He says further, that this river falls into the Achelous, and that the æas flows to Apollonia [Note] towards the west. On each side of the island there is an extensive harbour; the extent of the larger one is 80 [Note] stadia. [Augustus] Cæsar has not only restored this city, but Catana, and likewise Centoripa, [Note] which had contributed much towards the overthrow of [Sextus] Pompey. Centoripa is situated above Catana and confines with the mountains of ætna and the river Giaretta, [Note] which flows into Catanvæa.
6.2.5One of the remaining sides, that stretching from Pachynus to Lilybæum, is entirely deserted; still it preserves a few traces of the ancient inhabitants, one of whose cities was Camarina. [Note] Acragas, [Note] which was a colony of the Geloi, [Note] together with its port and Lilybæum, [Note] still exist. In fact, these regions, lying opposite to Carthage, have been wasted by the great and protracted wars which have been waged. The remaining and greatest side, although it is by no means densely peopled, is well occupied, for Alæsa, [Note] Tyndaris, [Note] the emporium [Note] of the ægestani and Cephalœdium, [Note] are respectable towns. Panormus has received a Roman colony: they say that ægesta [Note] was founded by the Greeks who passed over, as we have related when speaking of Italy, with Philoctetes to the Crotoniatis, and were by him sent to Sicily with ægestus [Note] the Trojan.
Strabo, Geography (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [Str.]. | ||
<<Str. 6.2.3 | Str. 6.2.5 (Greek English(2)) | >>Str. 6.2.7 |
