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CHAP. 26. (22.)—DALMATIA.

Scardona, situate upon the river1, at a distance of twelve miles from the sea, forms the boundary of Liburnia and the beginning of Dalmatia. Next to this place comes the ancient country of the Autariatares and the fortress of Tariona, the Promontory of Diomedes2, or, as others call it, the peninsula of Hyllis, 100 miles3 in circuit. Then comes Tragurium, a place with the rights of Roman citizens, and celebrated for its marble, Sicum, a place to which Claudius, the emperor lately deified, sent a colony of his veterans, and Salona4, a colony, situate 112 miles from ladera. To this place resort for legal purposes, having the laws dispensed according to their divisions into decuries or tithings, the Dahmatæ, forming 342 decuries, the Deurici 22, the Ditiones 239, the Mazæi 269, and the Sardiates 52. In this region are Burnum5, Andetrium6, and Tribulium, fortresses ennobled by the battles of the Roman people. To the same jurisdiction also belong the Issæi7, the Colentini, the Separi, and the Epetini, nations inhabiting the islands. After these come the fortresses of Peguntium8 and of Rataneum, with the colony of Narona9, the seat of the third jurisdiction, distant from Salona eighty-two miles, and situate upon a river of the same name, at a distance of twenty miles from the sea. M. Varro states that eighty-nine states used to resort thither, but now nearly the only ones that are known are the Cerauni10 with 24 decuries, the Daorizi with 17, the Dæsitiates with 103, the Docleatæ with 33, the Deretini with 14, the Deremistæ with 30, the Dindari with 33, the Glinditiones with 44, the Melcomani with 24, the Naresii with 102, the Scirtarii with 72, the Siculotæ with 24, and the Vardæi, once the scourges of Italy, with no more than 20 decuries. In addition to these, this district was possessed by the Ozuæi, the Partheni, the Hemasini, the Arthitæ, and the Armistæ. The colony of Epidaurum11 is distant from the river Naron 100 miles. After Epidaurum come the following towns, with the rights of Roman citizens:—Rhizinium12, Acruvium13, Butua, Olcinium, formerly called Colchinium, having been founded by the Colchians; the river Drilo14, and, upon it, Scodra15, a town with the rights of Roman citizens, situate at a distance of eighteen miles from the sea; besides in former times many Greek towns and once powerful states, of which all remem- brance is fast fading away. For in this region there were formerly the Labeatæ, the Enderini16, the Sasæi, the Grabæi17, properly called Illyrii, the Taulantii18, and the Pyrei. The Promontory of Nymphæum on the sea-coast still retains its name19; and there is Lissum, a town enjoying the rights of Roman citizens, at a distance from Epidaurum of 100 miles.

(23.) At Lissum begins the province of Macedonia20, the nations of the Parthini21, and behind them the Dassaretæ22. The mountains of Candavia23 are seventy-eight miles from Dyrrhachium. On the coast lies Denda, a town with the rights of Roman citizens, the colony of Epidamnum24, which, on account of its inauspicious name, was by the Romans called Dyrrhachium, the river Aöus25, by' some called Æas, and Apollonia26, formerly a colony of the Corinthians, at a distance of four miles from the sea, in the vicinity of which the celebrated Nymphæum27 is inhabited by the barbarous Amantes28 and Buliones. Upon the coast too is the town of Oricum29, founded by the Colchians. At this spot begins Epirus, with the Acroceraunian30 mountains, by which we have previously mentioned31 this Gulf of Europe as bounded. Oricum is distant from the Promontory of Salentinum in Italy eighty32 miles.

1 The Titus or Kerka. Scardona still retains its name.

2 Now called the Cabo di San Nicolo.

3 This measurement would make it appear that the present Sabioncello is meant, but that it ought to come below, after Narona. He probably means the quasi peninsula upon which the town of Tragurium, now Trau Vecchio, was situate; but its circumference is hardly fifty miles. So, if Sicum is the same as the modern Sebenico, it ought to have been mentioned previously to Tragurium.

4 Spalatro, the retreat of Diocletian, was in the vicinity of Salona. Its ancient name was Spolatum, and at the village of Dioclea near it, that emperor was born. On the ruins of the once important city of Salona, rose the modern Spalato or Spalatro.

5 Its site is unknown, though D'Anville thinks that it was probably that of the modern Tain.

6 Clissa is supposed to occupy its site. Tribulium is probably the modern Ugliane.

7 The people of the island of Issa, now Lissa, off the coast of Liburnia. It was originally peopled by a Parian or a Syracusan colony. It was famous for its wine, and the beaked ships "Lembi Issaici," rendered the Romans good service in the war with Philip of Macedon.

8 The modern Almissa stands on its site; and on that of Rataneum, Mucarisca.

9 Now called Narenta; the river having the same name.

10 The localities of all these peoples are unknown.

11 Or Epidaurus. It is not noticed in history till the civil war between Pompey and Cæsar, when, having declared in favour of the latter, it was besieged by M. Octavius. The site of it is known as Ragusa Vecchia, or Old Ragusa, but in the Illyric language it is called Zaptal. Upon its destruction, its inhabitants moved to Rausium, the present Ragusa. There are no remains extant of the old town.

12 It still retains the name of Risine, upon the Golfo di Cattaro, the ancient Sinus Rhizonicus.

13 In the former editions called "Ascrivium." The modern Cattaro is supposed to occupy its site. Butua is the modern Budua, and Olcinium, Dulcigno. It is probable that the derivation of the name of this last place, as suggested by Pliny, is only fanciful.

14 Now called Drin and Drino.

15 Now called Scutari or Scodar, the capital of the province called by the Turks Sangiac de Scodar.

16 According to Hardouin, the modern Endero stands on the site of their capital.

17 Grabia, mentioned by Pouqueville, in his "Voyage de la Grece," seems to retain the name of this tribe.

18 Pouqueville is of opinion that they occupied the district now known as Musaché.

19 Dalechamp thinks that the two words "Retinet nomen" do not belong to the text, but have crept in from being the gloss of some more recent commentator. They certainly appear to be out of place. This promontory is now called Cabo Rodoni.

20 The modern Albania.

21 Pouqueville is of opinion that they inhabited the district about the present village of Presa, seven leagues N.E. of Durazzo.

22 From Ptolemy we learn that Lychnidus was their town; the site of which, according to Pouqueville, is still pointed out at a spot about four leagues south of Ochrida, on the eastern bank of the Lake of Ochrida.

23 Now called El Bassan; though Pouqueville says Tomoros or De Caulonias. Commencing in Epirus, they separated Illyricum from Macedonia. See Lucan's Pharsalia, B. vi. 1. 331.

24 The Romans are said to have changed its Greek name Epidamnum, from an idea that it was inauspicious, as implying "damnum" or "ruin." It has been asserted that they gave it the name of Durrhachium or Dyrrhachium, from "durum," rugged, on account of the ruggedness of its locality. This however cannot be the case, as the word, like its predecessor, is of Greek origin. Its unfortunate name, "Epidamnus," is the subject of several puns and witticisms in that most amusing perhaps of all the plays of Plautus, the Menæchmi. It was of Corcyrean origin, and after playing a distinguished part in the civil wars between Pompey and Cæsar, was granted by Augustus to his veteran troops. The modern Durazzo stands on its site.

25 Now called the Voioussa.

26 The monastery of Pollina stands on its site. It was founded by the Corinthians and Corcyreans. There are scarcely any vestiges of it remaining.

27 See further mention of this spot in B. ii. c. 110.

28 Pouqueville states that the ruins of Amantia are to be seen near the village of Nivitza, on the right bank of the river Suchista. The remains of Bullis, the chief town of the Buliones, according to the same traveller, are to be seen at a place called Gradista, four miles from the sea.

29 The same writer states that Oricum was situate on the present Gulf De la Vallona or d'Avlona, and that its port was the place now called by the Greeks Porto Raguseo, and by the Turks Liman Padisha.

30 The "Heights of Thunder." They were so called from the frequent thunderstorms with which they were visited. The range however was more properly called the "Ceraunii Montes," and the promontory terminating it "Acroceraunii" or "Acroceraunia," meaning "the end of the Ceraunii." The range is now called the Mountains of Khimara, and the promontory, Glossa, or in Italian, Linguetta, meaning "the Tongue."

31 In C. 15 of the present Book.

32 About 70 English miles is the distance.

The Natural History. Pliny the Elder. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 1855.

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