Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/425

 Cliap. 4.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTRIES, ETC. 891 free to^vns of Leptis Admmetiim*, Euspina', and Thapsus* ; and then ThenaB*, Macomades'', Tacape% and ISabrata^ ^vilic'h touches on the Lesser STtis ; to which spot, from the Ampsaga, the length of Numidia and Africa is 580 miles, and the breadth, so far as it has been ascertained, 200. That portion which we have called Africa is divided into two provinces, the Old and the New'; these are separated by a dvke which was made by order of the second Scipio Afi'icanus^ and the kings'", and extended to Thenss, which town is distant from Carthage 216 miles. CHAP. 4. THE STRTES. A third Gulf is divided into two smaller ones, those of the two Syrtes' which are rendered perilous by the shallows ^ The modem Lempta occupies its site. 2 Originally a Phoenician colony, older than Carthage. It was the capital of Byzacium, and stood within the southern extremity of. the Sinus NeapoUtanus or Gulf of Haramamet. Ti-ajan made it a colony, under the high-sounding name, as we gather from inscriptions, of Colonia Concordia Uljna Trajana Augusta Frugifera Hadrumetana, or, as set forth on coins, Colonia Concordia Julia Hadrumetana Pia. The epithet Frugifera refers to the fact that it was one of the chief sea-ports for the corn-producing country of Byzacium. It Avas destroyed by the Vandals, but restored by the Emperor Justinian under the name of Justiniana or Justinianopohs. The modem Sousa stands on its site ; and but sUght traces of the ancient city are to be found. 3 Situate hi the vicinity of the modern Monastir. dary between the proconsular provuice of Africa and the territory of the Numidian king Masinissa and his descendants. ^ The present Mahometa, accorduig to Marcus, El Malires according to D'Anville. ' Now Cabes, according to D'Anville, givmg name to the Gulf of Cabes. INIarcus calls it Gaps. ^ Now Tripoli "S'^eccliio ; also called Sabart according to D'Anville. ' Scipio yEmilianus, the son-in-law of yEmilius Paiilus. '^ Micipsa, the son of IVIasinissa, and liis two legitimate brethren. Scipio having been left by Masinissa executor of his will, the sovi-reign power was divided by liim between Mici])sji and his two brethren Gidussa and Mastanabal. On this occasion also he sejiaratcd Nuniidiu from Zeugitana and Byzacium, by a long dyke dra%ni from Thenjr, due south, to the borders of the Great Desert, and thence in a north-westerly direc- tion to the river Tiisca. '1 The SjTtes or 'Quicksands' are now called, the Lesser Syrtes the
 * Shaw discovered its ruins at the modern town of Demas.
 * Now Taineli, accorduig to D'Anville. This place formed the boun-