Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/661

 POLLENTIA. narrow space, bordered by precipitous banks — are those of an ancient Latin city ; but wlietber they mark the site of Pulitorium, as supposed by Gel], or of Tellwnae, as suggested by Nibby and adopted by Abeken, we are wholly without the means of determining. (Gell, Top. of Rome, p. 280 ; Nibby, Dintomi, vol. ii. p. 571, vol. iii. p. 146 — 152 ; Abeken, Miltel Italien, p. 69.) The ruins at La Giostra are more fully noticed under the article Tellenae. [E. H. B.] POLLE'NTIA. 1. (noAXfj'Tf'a: Eth. Follen- tmus . Pulenza), a city of Liguria, situated in the interior of that province, at the northern foot of the Apennines, near the confluence of the Stura and Tanaro. It was about 7 miles W. of Alba Ponjpeia. It was probably a Ligurian town before the Roman conquest, and included in the territory of the Statielli ; but we do not meet with its name in his- tory until near the close of the Itoman republic, when it appears as a town of importance. In b. c. 43, M. Antonius, after his defeat at Mutina, with- drew to Yada Sabata, intending to proceed into Transalpine Gaul ; but this being opposed by his troops, he was compelled to recross the Apennines, with the view of seizing on Pollentia; in which he was, however, anticipated by Decimus Brutus, who had occupied the city with five cohorts. (Cic. ad Fam. xi. 13.) Under the Roman Empire, Pollentia is mentioned by Pliny among the " nobilia oppida " which adorned the tract of Liguria between the Apennines and the Padus. (Plin. iii. 5. s. 7.) It had considerable maimfectures of pottery, and tlie wool produced in its territory enjoyed great reputa- tion, having a natural dark colour. (I'lin. viii. 48. s. 73, XXXV. 12. s. 46 ; Sil. Ital. viii. 597 ; JIartial, xiv. 157.) It is incidentally mentioned as a muni- cipal town under the reign of Tiberius, liaving been severely punished by that emperor for a tumult that occurred in its forum. (Suet. Tib. 37.) But its name is chiefly noted in liistory as the scene of a great battle fought between Stilicho and the Goths under Al.aric, in a. d. 403. The circumstances of this battle are very imperfectly known to us, and even its event is variously related ; fur while Clau- dian celebrates it as a glorious triumjih, Orosius describes it as a dubious success, and Cassiodorus and Jornandes boldly claim the victory for the Goths. (Claudian, B. Get. 580—647 ; Prudent. in Symmach. ii. 696 — 749 : Ores. vii. 37 ; Prosper. Chron. p. 190; Cassiod. Chron. p. 450 ; Jornand. Get. 30.) But it seems certain that it was attended with great slaughter on both sides, and that it led to a temporary retreat of the Gothic king. No subsequent mention is found of it, and we have no account of the circumstances of its decay or de- struction ; but the name dues not reappear in the middle ages, and the modern Pollenza is a poor village. Considerable remains of the ancient city may still be traced, though in a very decayed con- dition ; they include the traces of a theatre, an amphitheatre, a temple, and other buildings ; and various inscriptions have also been discovered on the spot, thus confirming the evidence of its ancient jjrospcrity and importance. (Millin, Voyage tn J'icmont, tjT. vol. ii. p. 55.) The ruins are situated two miles from the modern town of Cherasco, but on the left bank of the Tanaro. 2. A town of Picenum mentioned only by Pliny, who among the " populi'' of that region, enumerates the Pollentini, whom he unites with the Urbs Salvia in a manner that seems to prove the two commu- POLYGIUM. 645 nities to have been united into one. (Urbesalvia Pollentini, Plin. iii. 14. s. 18.) The Urbs Salvia now Urhisaglia, is well known ; and the site of Pollentia must be sought in its immediate neigli- bourbood. Ilolstenius places it at Monte Melone, on a hill on the left bank of the Chienti between Macerata and Tolentino, about 3 miles fom Urhi- saglia on the opposite side of the valley. (Holstcn. Not. ad Cluv. p. 138.) [E. H. B.] POLLE'NTIA. [Baleaees.] POLLUSCA or POLUSCA {uoKoiaKa: Eth. XlovaKav6s, Polluscinus: Ccisal della Mandria), a city of Latium, which appears in the early history of Rome inseparably connected with Longula and Corioli. Thus, in b. c. 493, we find the three places enumerated in succession as reduced by the arms of Postumus Cominius ; and again in b. c. 488 all three were recovered by the Volscians under the command of Coriolanus. (Liv. ii. 33, 39 ; Dionys. vi. 91, viii, 36.) No subsequent mention of Pollusca occurs, except that its name is found in Pliny, among the cities of Latium of which all trace had disappeared. (Plin. iii. 5. s. 9.) As its name is there given among tlie places which had once shared in the sacrifices on the Alban Mount, it is probable that it was originally a Latin city, and had fallen into the hands of the Volscians ; wlience it is called, when first noticed in history, a Volscian city. Livy, indeed, appears to regard Longula and Pollusca as belonging to the Yolsci Antiates. and therefure at that time mere dependencies of Antium. The position of I'oUusca, as well as that of Longula, must be in great measure matter of conjecture, but the site suggested by Nibby, on a hill adjoining the Osteria di Civita, about 22 ndles from Rome, on the road to Porta d' Anzo, has at least a plausible claim to that distinction. The hill in question which is included in the farm of the Cu.'ial ddhi Mandria, stands just at the bifurcation of the two roads that lead to Porto d' Anzo and to Conca : it was noticed by Sir W. Gell as the probable site of an ancient town, and suggested as one of those which might be selected for Corioli : if we place the latter city at Monte Giove, the site more generally adopted, Pollusca may very well have been at the Osteria di Civita ; but the point is one which can never be determined with certainty. (Gell, Top of Rome, p. 183; Nibby, Lintorni, vol. i. p. 402; Abeken, Mittel Italien p. 72.) [E. Ii. B.] POLTYOBKIA. [Aenus.] POLYAEGUS (UoXvaiyus), a desert i.>lan(l in the Aegaean sea, near Melos. (Ptol. iii. 15. § 28 ; Plin. iv. ) 2. s. 23 ; Jlela, ii. 7.) It is either Poli/hos, or perhaps Antimelos with its wild goats. (Ross, Reisen at f den Griech. Inseln, vol. iii. p. 26.) POLYANTHES. [Amantia.] POLY'ANUS (XloXvavos) a mountain in Epeirus mentioned by Strabo (vii. p. 327) along with To- marus. POLY'BOTUS (noAugoTos), a ])lace in the west of Phrygia JIajor, a little to the s(iulh-east of Syn- nada, is mentioned only by Ilieroclcs (p. 677) and a few Byzantine writers (Procop. hist. Arc. 18; Anna Conmen. p. 324; Concil. Nicaen. ii. p. 358), who, however, do not give the name correctly, but call it Polybatus or Polygotus. Col. Leake {^Asia Min. p. 53) identifies the site of Polybotus with the mo- dern Bidwudun, which he regards as only a Turkish corruption of the ancient name. [L. S.] POLY'GIUM, a place on the south coast of Gallia, mentioned in the Ora Maritima of Avienus (v. 61 1): T X 3