the celebrated lake and valley of Amsanctus, a fabled entrance to the shades below. The coast of the Adriatic below Picenum was occupied by the Vestini, Marrucini, and Frentani, Samnite tribes. The latter extended to the river Frento and the confines of Apulia. This part of Italy is now called the Abruzzi. Among the Vestini was Amiternum, where Sallust was born. Among the Frentani, the principal place was Histonium on the coast, now Vasto d'Ammone. Bordering on Latium and the Sabines were the Marsi, celebrated for their valour*, and northeast of them, the Peligni; these two Samnite tribes were reputed to possess great skill in magic.† Marrubium, the principal city of the Marsi, was situated on the east side of the Lake Fucinus. Among the Peligni was Corfinium, and a little lower, Sulmo (Sulmona), where Ovid was born. Considerably below Sulmo, on the confines of Campania, was Æsernia (Isernia), and below it Allifæ§, celebrated for its pottery. South-east of Allifæ is Beneventum (Benevento), originally called Maleventum, but which changed its name for one of more favourable omen. Here Pyrrhus was defeated by Curius, and retired to Epirus, B. C. 274, A. U. c. 480. South-west of Beneventum is Caudium, the scene of the ignominious defeat of the Romans by the Samnite general Pontius, A. U. c. 433, B. C. 321. South of this, among the Hirpini, are Abella * Hæc genus acre virûm, Marsos pubemque Sabellam, Assuetumque malo Ligurem, Volscosque verutos, Extulit. Virg. Georg. II. 167. Hor. Epod. V. 75. Hor. Epod. XVIII. 8. Sulmo mihi patria est, gelidis uberrimus undis, Millia qui novies distat ab urbe decem. Invertunt Allifanis vinaria tota. Ov. Trist. IV. 10. Hor. Sat. II. viii. 2o (Avellino), Rufræ, and Batulum, places mentioned by Virgil. The remainder of Italy is called Magna Græcia, from the number of Grecian colonies which it contained. It is divided into Apulia, Messapia, or Japygia (called also Calabria), Lucania, and the country of the Bruttii, or Bruttiorum Ager. Apulia is now called Puglia, an arid sandy district traversed by the Apennines. Amongst its chief mountains it will be sufficient to mention Mons Garganus*, celebrated for its oak groves, now Monte St. Angelo, and Mons Vultur†, bordering on Samnium and Lucania, frequented by Horace in his infancy. The principal river of Apulia was the Aufidus, or Ofanto ‡, a violent torrent, which falls into the sea near Cannæ. Below Mons Garganus was Daunia, on the coast, so called from Daunus, an antient king of Apulia, the father-in-law of Diomede. Diomede settled here after the Trojan war, and founded the city of Arpi§, still so called. A little north-east, on the coast, was Sipontum, near the present Manfredonia. West of Arpi, and bordering on Samnium, is Luceria (Lucera), celebrated for its wool. * Towards Lucania is Venusia (Venosa), the birth-place of Horace †, and near it Bantia ‡, Acherontia (Acerenza), and Ferentum, places mentioned by him. North-east of Venusia is Canusium (Canosa), built by Diomede §, and a little north-eastward of Canusium is Cannæ, the site of Hannibal's great victory, May 21st, A. U. C. 538, B. C. 216. The country between Apulia and Messapia was antiently called Peucetia, from its pine forests, the principal city of which was Barium ||, frequented by fishermen. South of Barium, stood Egnatia or Gnatia, the last stage mentioned by Horace in his journey to Brundusium. Below Apulia is Messapia, or Japygia, containing two nations; the Calabri on the north-east, and the Salentini on the south-western side of the heel of Italy. The Calabri have given to this country the general name of Calabria. The most remarkable mountain was M. Matinus, in the extreme south, celebrated for its bees. The Galesus, or Galeso**, the principal river of Japygia, is a *Te lanæ prope nobilem t Tonsæ Luceriam, non citharæ, decent. Hor. Od. III. xv. 13. Lucanus an Appulus anceps, Nam Venusinus arat finem sub utrumque colonus. Quicunque celsæ nidum Acherontiæ, Saltusque Bantinos, et arvum Pingue tenent humilis Ferenti. Hor. Sat. II. i. 34. Hor. Od. III. iv. 14. § Qui locus a forti Diomede est conditus olim. Hor. Sat. I. v. 92. small stream flowing near Tarentum into the gulf of the same name. On the Adriatic is Brundusium, or Brindisi, the principal port for the passengers from Greece to Italy. South of it is Rudiæ, the birth-place of Ennius, the friend of Scipio Africanus, and father of Latin poetry*, whose bust was placed on the tomb of the Scipios; and still south, Hydruntum, now Otranto. The promontory of the heel of Italy was called Japygium, or Salentinum Promontorium. Above this, on the Sinus Tarentinus, was Callipolis, now Gallipoli, and at the head of this bay is Tarentum, now Taranto, founded by the Lacedæmonians. Half way between Tarentum and Brundusium stood Hyria, founded by a colony of Cretans. South of Campania and Apulia is Lucania, a hilly pastoral country, to which the flocks were annually driven when the drought of summer had destroyed the herbage of Apulia and Calabria.† The principal rivers are, the Silarus (Silaro), which rises in the Apennines, and, being joined by the Tanager, north of Mons Alburnus, falls into the Mare Tyrrhenum. Its banks were much infested by the gadfly; the Bradanus (Bradano), the Aciris (Agri), and the Sybaris, rise in the Apennines, and flow into the Gulf of Tarentum. * Ennius emeruit, Calabris in montibus ortus, Ovid, De Art. Am. III. 409. † Pecusve Calabris ante sidus fervidum Lucana mutet pascua. Hor. Epod. I. 27. Est lucos Silari circum, ilicibusque virentem Virg. Georg. III. 146. The first city south of Campania is Pæstum, now Pesti, on the coast, where the roses flowered twice in the year*; it was called by the Greeks Posidonia, in honour of Neptune, who had a magnificent temple here, the ruins of which still remain. It was a very ancient colony from Trozene. South of it is Helea or Velia, mentioned by Horace; south of which was the promontory where Palinurus, the pilot of Eneas, was murdered, and which received his name. On the coast of the Tarentine bay was Metapontum, the celebrated school of Pythagoras, who died there B. C. 497. Southward is Heraclea, of which Zeuxis was a native, and Archias, Cicero's friend, was made a citizen; and Sybaris, noted for the effeminacy of its inhabitants. Close to it is Thurium. In the interior was Potentia, now Potenza. South of Lucania are the Bruttii. The principal rivers are, the Crathes, or Crati, which rises in the Apennines, and falls into the Tarentine bay near Sybaris; and the Neathes, or Neto, which rises in the same vicinity, and falls into the sea near Petilia. Near the Mare Tyrrhenum, a little inland, is Consentia, now Consenza.-Quite in the toe of Italy, on the strait which divides it from Sicily, is Rhegium, now Reggio; and on the opposite coast of Italy, on the Ionian Sea, is Locri Epi-Zephyrii, so called from the promontory of Zephyrium, a little below it. North of Locri is Caulon, and above it Scylaceum, now Squillaci, and after the shore has bent to the east, is the promontory of Lacinium, now called Capo della Colonna, from a Biferique rosaria Pæsti. Virg. Georg. IV. 119. † Quæ sit hyems Veliæ, quod cœlum, Vala, Salerni. Hic sinus Herculei, si vera est fama, Tarenti Hor. Epist. I. xv. 1. Virg. Æn. III. 551. See also a beautiful story respecting the painting of Helen, by Zeuxis, in this temple, related by Cicero, De Invent. II. 1. D |