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.
398/542 page 384
![mention in the Odyssey.* They are seven in number, and are all easily distinguished both from Sicily and the coast of the continent about Medma. We will speak of them in par- ticular when we describe Sicily. After the river Metaurus, there is another Metaurus.^ Next in order is Scyllaeum, an elevated cliff nearly surrounded by the .sea. But connected with the main-land by alow isthmus easily accessible on either side, which Anaxilaus, the tyrant of Rhegium, fortified against the Tyrrheni, and formed a commodious haven, and thus pre- vented the pirates from passing through the strait. Next to the Scyllajan promontory was that of Csenys, distant frf^m Medma 250 stadia. It is the last headland, and forms the narrowest part of the Strait [of Sicily], being opposite to Cape Pelorus on the Sicilian side, which is one of tlie three points which give to that island the form of a triangle. Its aspect is towards the rising of the sun in summer, whilst that of Ccenys looks towards the Avest. Indeed they both seem to have diverged from the general line of coast in order to stand out opposite each other.^ From Ctenys to the Posidonium * [and] the Columna Rheginorum,® the narrow part of the strait stretches as much as 6 stadia, the shortest passage across the strait is a little more. From the Columna [Rhegi- ’ Homer, Odyssej', lib. x. 2 There have been many suggestions for the correction of this passage. Kramer thinks tliat Cluverius was happy in proposing Ilorafioc instead of Mtrcfi'poc, and that then the Cratais, now Solano, or Fiume de’ Tesci, would bo the river which Strabo intended. ^ According to Pliny, these two promontories were separated by an interval of twelve stadia, or a mile and a half, which accords with the statement of Polybius. Thucydides, however, allows about two miles and a half, which he considers to be the utmost possible distance. Topo- graphers are divided as to the exact point of the Italian coast which answers to Cape Camys. The Calabrian geographers say the Punta del Pezzo, called also Coda del Volpc, in which opinion Cluverius and D’.\n- ville coincide, but llolstcnius contends for the Torre del Cavallo, which the French translators seem to favour. In fact, that may be the narrowest point, still it docs not answer so well to Strabo’s description of the figure and bearing of Cape Ca;nys as the Punta del Pezzo. * 'I’he temple or altar of Neptune. * The Columna Uhegina, as remarked by Cramer, (vol. ii. p. 427,) was probably a i>illar set up to mark the consular road leading to the sn\iih of Italy. Strabo speaks of it as a small tower (book iii. c. v. ^ 6, ]). 2G5). In the Itinerary of .\ntoninus it is simply termed Columna, but in the inscription relative to the Via .\quilia, it is called Statua. The situation of this lower is generally identified with tlie site of La Catena.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b24872556_0001_0398.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
