Strabo, Geography
H.C. Hamilton, Esq., W. Falconer, M.A., Ed.

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AFTER the mouth of the Silaro,¹ is Leucania, and the temple of Argive Juno, founded by Jason. Near to this, within 50 stadia, is Posidonia.² Sailing thence, towards the high sea, is the island of Leucosia,³ at a little distance from the main-land. It bears the name of one of the Sirens, who according to the mythology was cast up here, after having been precipitated with her companions into the deep. The promontory⁴ of the island projects opposite the Sirenussæ,⁵ forming the bay of Posidonium.⁶ After having made this cape there is another contiguous bay, on which is built the city which the Phocæans called Hyela when they founded it, but others Ela from a certain fountain. People in the present day call it Elea. It is here that Parmenides and Zeno, the Pythagorean philosophers, were born. And it is my opinion that through the instrumentality of those men, as well as by previous good management, the government of that place was well arranged, so that they successfully resisted the Leucani and the Posidoniatæ, notwithstanding the smallness of their district and the inferiority of their numbers. They are compelled, therefore, on account of the barrenness of the soil, to apply to maritime trade chiefly, to employ themselves in the salting of fish, and in such other occupations. Antiochus⁷ says that when Phocea was taken by Harpagus, the general of Cyrus, those who had the means embarked with their families, and sailed under the conduct of Creontiades, first to Cyrnos and Marseilles, but having been driven thence, they founded Elea;⁸ the name of which some say is derived from the river Elees.⁹ The city is distant about two hundred stadia from Posidonia. After this city is the promontory of Palinurus. But in front of the Eleatis are the Œnotrides, two islands¹⁰ having good anchorage.¹¹ And beyond Palinurus are the promontory, harbour, and river of Pyxus;¹² the three having the same name. This colony was founded¹³ by Micythus, then governor of Messina in Sicily; but those who were located here, except a few, abandoned the place. After Pyxus are the gulf,¹⁴ the river,¹⁵ and the city¹⁶ of Laüs. This, the last¹⁷ city of the Leucani, situate a little above the sea, is a colony¹⁸ of the Sybarites, and is distant from Ælea 400 stadia. The whole circuit of Leucania, by sea is 650 stadia. Near to Latis is seen the tomb of Draco, one of the companions of Ulysses, and the oracular response, given to the Italian Greeks, alludes to him: “ Some day, around the Dragon's stony tomb,
A mighty multitude shall meet their doom.

” For the Greeks of Italy, enticed by this prophecy, marched against Laiis, and were defeated by the Leucani.¹⁹