CLA´NIUS
CLA´NIUS (
Γλάνις, Dionys.:
il Lagno), a river of Campania, which rises in the Apennines near Abella, and traverses the whole plain of Campania, falling into the sea about 4 miles S. of the Vulturnus.
In the early part--of its course it flowed by the town of Acerrae, which frequently suffered severely from the ravages of its waters during floods (vacuis Clanius non aequus Acerris,
Verg. G. 2.225;
Sil. Ital. 8.537.).
At other times their stagnation rendered the country unhealthy; hence in modern times the stream has been diverted into a canal or artificial course, called
il regio Lagno, and sometimes by corruption
l'Agno. This is divided into two streams near its mouth, the one of which flows direct into the sea, and is known as
Foce dei Lagni, the other takes a more southerly direction, and joins, or rather forms, a marshy lake called the
Lago di Patria (the ancient Literna Palus), the outlet of which into the sea, about 7 miles S. of the former branch, is now called the
Foce di Patria. This is evidently the same which was known in ancient times as the river Liternus ternus (
Liv. 32.29;
Strab. v. p.243), and appears to have been then the principal, if not the only outlet of the Clanius, as Strabo, who describes the coast of Campania minutely, does not notice the latter river. (Romanelli, vol. iii. p. 496; Rampoldi,
Corogr. vol. i. p. 37, vol. ii. p. 363). Dionysius, who mentions the Clanius on occasion of the siege of Cumae in B.C. 524, writes the name
Γλάνις, as does also Lycophron, who, with his usual vagueness and inaccuracy, would seem to place the city of Neapolis at its month (
Alex. 718).
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E.H.B]
