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 Chap. 5.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTEIES, ETC. 279 Demetrius^ Caesar the Dictator, the prince Caius^, and Do- mitius Nero^, have at different times made the attempt to cut through this neck by fc^rming a navigable canal ; a pro- fane design, as may be clearly seen by the result^ in every one of these instances. Upon the middle of this intervening neck which we have called the Isthmus, stands the colony of Corinth, formerly known by the name of Ephyre^, situate upon the brow of a hill, at a distance of sixty stadia from the shore of either sea. From the heights of its citadel, which is called Acro- corinthos, or the " Heights of Corinth," and in which is the Fountain of Pirene, it looks down upon the two seas which lie in the opposite directions. From Leucas to Patra? upon the Corinthian gulf is a distance of eighty-eight miles. The colony of Patrae^ is founded upon the most extensive pro- montory of the Peloponnesus, facing ^tolia and the river Evenus, the Corinthian Gulf being, as we have previously^ stated, less than a mile in width at the entrance there, though extending in length as far as the isthmus, a distance of eighty-five miles. ^ Demetrius PoHorcetes, king of Macedonia, son of Antigonus, king of Asia. 2 Caius CaligrJa, the Emperor. 2 The Emperor Nero actually commenced the work, having opened the undertaking with great pomp, and cut away a portion of the eartli with his own hands. He had advanced four stadia, when the work was interrupted by the insurrection of Juhus Yindex in Gaul. •* AVe cannot agree with Hardouin that "exitus" here means "death," in allusion to the unfortunate end of all those who had made the attempt. The opinion of Spanheim seems rather deserving of support (though censured by Hardouin), that it merely means " the result" in each case ; it being the fact, that in all the instances the contemplated undertaking was interrupted by some unforeseen event. Periander and llerodes Atti- cus also contemplated the formation of this channel. 5 It is not known when it exchanged this name for that of Corinth ; being called by both names in Homer. Scarcely any remains of it are now to be seen. The small town on its site is called Gortho, a corruption of its ancient name. The water of the lamed spring of Pirene is now oidy used for washing clothes. ® Now Patras. There are few remains of the ancient city, which was one of the twelve cities of Achaia. It was made a Koman colony by Augustus. t See C. 3 of the present Book, p. 275.