Volume 1
The geography of Strabo / Literally translated, with notes. The first six books by H. C .Hamilton, esq., the remainder by W. Falconer.
- Strabo
- Date:
- 1854-1857
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The geography of Strabo / Literally translated, with notes. The first six books by H. C .Hamilton, esq., the remainder by W. Falconer. Source: Wellcome Collection.
378/542 page 364
![place. Such were the myth.s related liy our ancettcrs. Hut now that the wood surrounding tlie Avernus has been cut down by Agrippa, the lands built upon, and a subterranean passage cut from Avernus to Cumae, all these appear fables. Perhaps' Cocceius, who made this subterranean passage,^ wished to follow the practice of the Kimmerians we liave already described, or fancied that it was natural to this place -that its roads should be made under-ground. 6. The Lucrine gulf extends in breadth as far as Baia;; it is separated from the sea by a bank eight stadia in length, and the breadth of a oarriage-Avay ; this they say was con- structed by Hercules when he drove away the oxen of Gervon. But as the wave covered its surface in stormy weather, ren- dering it difficult to pass on foot, Agrippa has repaired it. Small vessels can put into it, but it is useless as a harbour.^ It contains abundant oyster-beds. Some take this to be the Acherusian Lake, while Artemidorus confounds it with Aver- nus. They say that Balm took its name from BaTus one of tlie companions of Ulysses, and Misenum from lilisenus. Beyond is the strand and city of Dica^archia. Formerly it was nothing but a naval station of the Cuma?i. It was built on an eminence. But at the time of the war with Hannibal, the Romans established a colony there, and chauged its name into Puteoli,'* [an appellation derived] from its wells: or, accord- ing to others, from the stench of its waters, the whole district from hence to Ba'ia and Cuma) being full of sulphur, fire, and hot-springs. Some too are of opinion that it was on this ac- count [that the country about] Cumm was named Phlegra, and that the fables of the giants struck down by thunderbolts owe their origin to these eruptions of lire and water. This city has become a place of extensive commerce, having arti- ficially constructed harbours, which were much facilitated by ' The text here appears to liave been corrupted. ‘‘ \Ve apree with Kramer in considering as an interpolation the words, re icai erri ’Sear ttoXii' Ik AiKaiapxiag irri raif Bntaig, ojirf lUrtru^e anotlicr at NcapoHs from Dicecarchia to Bai(F. It is generally supposed that the (iroita di I’ausilipo, or.Crypta Xeapolitana, is of much greater antiquity thiui the August.an age, when Cocceius flourished. There is good reason to refer that great undertaking to the Cunuri, of whose skill in works of this nature we have so remarkable an instance in the temple of their sibyl. ’ Dion Cassius tells us, on the contrary, that owing to the exertions of Agrij'pa, the gulfs both of .\vernus and Lucrinus became excellent ports, \iph aQ vav\o\wrATOx'^ a-'e^u^tv. * I’ozzuolL](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24872556_0001_0378.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
