Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/360

 346 STRABO. CASATJB. 232. Ardea. After this is Laurentum ; l and above these lies Ardea, a colony of the Rutuli, 70 stadia from the sea ; near to it is another temple of Venus, where all the Latini hold a public festival. These regions have been ravaged by the Samnitse, and only the traces of the cities left ; but even these are re- verenced on account of the arrival of ^Eneas here, and of the religious rites which they say were bequeathed from those times. 6. At 290 stadia from Antium is Mount Circseum, insu- lated by the sea and marshes. They say that it contains numerous roots, but this perhaps is only to harmonize with' the myth relating to Circe. It has a small city, together with a temple to Circe and an altar to Minerva ; they likewise say that a cup is shown which belonged to Ulysses. Between [Antium and Circaeum] is the river Stura, 2 which has a station for ships : the rest of the coast is exposed to the south- west wind, 3 with the exception of this small harbour of Cir- caeum. 4 Above this, in the interior, is the Pomentine plain : the region next to this was formerly inhabited by the Ausoni- ans, who likewise possessed Campania : next after these the Osci, who also held part of Campania ; now, however, as we have remarked, the whole, as far as Sinuessa, belongs to the Latini. A peculiar fate has attended the Osci and Ausonians ; for although the Osci have ceased to exist as a distinct tribe, their dialect is extant among the Romans, dramatic and burlesque pieces composed in it being still represented at certain games which were instituted in ancient times. And as for the Ausonians, although they never have dwelt by the sea of Sicily, 5 it is named the Ausonian Sea. At 100 stadia from Circseum is Tarracina, formerly named Trachina, 6 on account of its ruggedness ; before it is a great marsh, formed by two rivers, the larger of which is called the Aufidus. 7 This is the first place where the Via Appia approaches the sea. This 1 Near Paterno. 2 Storas, the Astura of Pliny. 3 Libs. 4 Hodie, the Porto di Paula, connected with the Lake of S. Maria. 5 This does not appear to be in accordance with the statement of Dionysius Halicarnassus and Pliny, that the Ausonians anciently pos- sessed the whole coast, from the Strait of Messina to the entrance of the Adriatic. 6 Or mountainous. 7 We should doubtless here read the Ufens, the modern Ufente.