Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/393

 n. vi. c. i. 4. ITALY. THE BRUTTII. GRECIAN CITIES. 379 Trojan, founded jEgesta. 1 In the inland districts are also Grumentura, 2 Vertinse, 3 Calasarna, 4 and other small villages, reaching as far as Venusia, 5 a city of some importance. This, however, I consider to be a Samnite city, as are also those which are next met with on going into Campania. Above the Thurii lies the district called Tauriana. 6 The Leucani are of Samnite origin. Having vanquished the Posidoniates and their allies, they took possession of their cities. At one time the institutions of the Leucani were democratic, but during the wars a king was elected by those who were pos- sessed of chief authority : at the present time they are Roman. 4. The Bruttii occupy the remainder of the coast as far as the Strait of Sicily, extending about 1350 stadia. Antiochus, in his treatise on Italy, says that this district, which he in- tended to describe, was called Italy, but that previously it had been called CEnotria. The boundary which he assigns to it on the Tyrrhenian Sea, is the river Lao, 7 and on the Sea of Sicily Metapontium, the former of which we have given as the boundary of the Bruttii. He describes Tarentum, which is next to Metapontium, 8 as beyond Italy, calling it lapygian. He also relates that, at a more ancient period, those who dwelt on this side the isthmus, which lies next the Strait of Sicily, were the only people who were called OEnotrians and Italians. The isthmus is 160 stadia across between the two gulfs, namely, that of Hipponium, 9 which Antiochus called Napitinus, and 1 The ruins of this city, which was anciently called also Egesta, Acesta, and Segesta, may be seen at Barbara, in the valley of Mazzara. 2 Kramer, following the suggestion of Xylander, has printed TOV. I am inclined, however, to think that Hovfitvrm', the reading of Manuscripts, is correct. According to Barrio, it occupied the situa- tion of Gerenza, on the right bank of the Nieto. 3 Verzine on the Nieto. (Barr. lib. iv. cap. 18. Maraf. lib. iii. c. 18.) the site of Campania. 5 Venosa, situated about 15 miles south of the Aufidus. It was a colony of importance before the war against Pyrrhus. After the disaster at Cannae, it afforded a retreat to Varro and the few who escaped that signal overthrow. Horace was born there in the year of the city 688. About six miles from Venosa, on the site named Palazzo, was the Fons Bandusiae. (Chaupy, Des c. de la maison de Camp, d' Horace, torn. iii. p. 538.) Cluvier thought that we should read Qovpiavrj instead of Tavpiavr}. 1 Laos, now Lao. Torre di Mare. 9 Golfo di S. Eufemia.
 * Calasarna is supposed by the Calabrian topographers to accord with