Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/384

 370 STRABO. CA.SAUB. 248. has ornamented it with numerous edifices. Such then are the maritime cities of Campania, and the islands lying opposite to it. 10. In the interior is the metropolis, Capua, being, as the etymon of the name signifies, the head ; for in regard to it all the other cities appear small, excepting Teanum-Sidicinum, 1 which is a very considerable place. This city lies on the Via Appia, as also the others which lead from hence to Brun- dusium, [viz.] Callateria, 2 Caudium, 3 and Beneventum. 4 On the side of Rome is Casilinum, 5 situated on the river Vultur- nus. 6 Here 540 men of Praneste sustained against Hannibal in the height of his power so desperate a siege, that "by reason of the famine, a rat 7 was sold for two hundred drachma?, the seller dying [of hunger], but the purchaser being saved. Han- nibal observing some of them sowing turnip-seed near to the wall, admired, as well he might, the patient courage of these men, who hoped to hold out in the mean while, until these turnips should be ready for food. However, we are assured that they all survived, with the exception of a few who perished either by famine or in war. 11. In addition to those just spoken of, there are these Campanian cities which we have already mentioned, viz. Cales, 8 and Teanum-Sidicinum, the limits of which are respectively marked out by the two temples of Fortune situ- ated on either side of the Via Latina. Besides these are Suessula, 9 Atella, 10 Nola, 11 Nuceria, 12 Acerrse, 13 Abella, 14 with 1 Teano. 2 Galazze. We have not hesitated to read Callateria, with all MSS. Kramer has printed Kaaria in text. Numismatic writers ascribe to this, and not the Samnite Calatia, the coins with the head of Jupiter on the obverse, and the legend, KALAT, and KALATI, in retrograde Oscan characters on the reverse. Mionnet. Med. Ant. Suppl. vol. i. p. 232 ; Sestini, Monet. Vet. p. 13. 3 S. Maria di Goti, near to Forchia Caudina. 4 Benevento. 5 Nova Capua. 6 Volturno. 7 The text has nedipvov ; but we have adopted pvbg, the word pro- posed by most of the Greek editors ; Valerius Maximus, Pliny, and Fron- tinus all agreeing in the statement, that it was a rat which fetched this enormous price. 8 Calvi. 9 Castel di Sessola, near Maddaloni. 10 Holstenius says that the ruins of Atella are still to be seen near S. Arpino, or S. Elpidio, about two miles beyond Aversa. 11 Now Nola. It was one of the most ancient and important cities of Campania ; though situated in an open plain, it resisted all the efforts of Hannibal after the battle of Cannae. Here Augustus expired, in the same room in wiiich his father Octavius had breathed his last. 12 Nocera. 13 Acerra near the source of the Agno, the ancient Clanius. " Avella Vecchia.