LEMANUS
LEMANUS or
LEMANNUS LACUS (
Λεμάνος,
Λεμάνη Λίμνη:
Leman Lake or
Lake of Geneva). Caesar says (
B. G. 1.8) that he drew his rampart against the Helvetii “from the Lacus Lemannus, which flows into the Rhone, as far as the Jura;” a form of expression which some of the commentators have found fault with and altered without any reason.
The name
Λιμένη Λίμνη in Ptolemy's text (2.10.2) is merely a copyist's error.
In the Antonine Itin. the name Lausonius Lacus occurs; and in the Table, Eth.
Losannensis Lacus. Mela (2.5), who supposes the Rhodanus to rise not far from the sources of the Rhenus and the Ister, says that, “after being received in the Lemannus Lacus, the river maintains its current, and flowing entire through it, runs out as large as it came in.” Strabo (p. 271) has a remark to the same purpose, and Pliny (
2.103), and Ammianus Marcellinus (
15.11).
This is not the fact, as we may readily suppose, though the current of the Rhone is perceptible for some distance after the river has entered the east end of the lake of Geneva. Ausonius (
De Clar. Urb. Narbo) makes the lake the chief source of the Rhodanus:--Qua rapitur praeceps Rhodanus genitore Lemanno;
but this poetical embellishment needs no remark.
The Lake of Geneva is an immense hollow filled by the Rhone and some smaller streams, and is properly described under another title. [
RHODANUS]
[
G.L]
