METAURUM
METAURUM (
Μάταυρος,
Steph. B. sub voce a city on the W. coast of Bruttium, at the mouth of the river of the same name.
According to Stephanus of Byzantium, it was a colony of the Locrians, but seems never to have risen to any importance; and its name is chiefly known because, according to some accounts, it was the birthplace of the poet Stesichorus, who was more generally regarded as a native of Himera. (
Steph. B. sub voce Suid. s. v.
Στησίχορος.) Stephanus erroneously calls it a city of Sicily; but Suidas, who writes the name Matauria, correctly places it in Italy; and there can be no doubt that both mean the town at the mouth of the Metaurus, which is called by Latin writers Metaurum. Solinus ascribes its foundation to the Zanclaeans. Mela mentions it as if it were a still existing town; but Strabo speaks only of the river Metaurus, with an anchorage or roadstead of the same name: and Pliny also notices the river ( “Metaurus amnis” ) without any mention of a town of the name. (
Strab. vi. p.256;
Plin. Nat. 3.5. s. 10, Mel. 2.4.8;
Solin. 2.11.)
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