Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/398

 384 STRABO. CASAUB. 256. mention in the Odyssey. 1 They are seven in number, and are all easily distinguished both from Sicily and the coast of the continent about Medma. We will speak of them in par- ticular when we describe Sicily. After the river Metaurus, there is another Metaurus. 2 Next in order is Scylkeum, an elevated cliff nearly surrounded by the sea. But connected with the main-land by alow isthmus easily accessible on either side, which Anaxilaus, the tyrant of Rhegiuni, fortified against the Tyrrheni, and formed a commodious haven, and thus pre- vented the pirates from passing through the strait. Next to the Scylla3an promontory was that of Caenys, distant from Medma 250 stadia. It is the last headland, and 'forms the narrowest part of the Strait [of Sicily], being opposite to Cape Pelorus on the Sicilian side, which is one of the three points which give to that island the form of a triangle. Its aspect is towards the rising of the sun in summer, whilst that of Casnys looks towards the west. Indeed they both seem to have diverged from the general line of coast in order to stand out opposite each other. 3 From Csenys to the Posidonium 4 [and] the Columna Rheginorum, 5 the narrow part of the strait stretches as much as 6 stadia, the shortest passage across the strait is a little more. From the Columna [Rhegi- 1 Homer, Odyssey, lib. x. 2 There have been many suggestions for the correction of this passage. Kramer thinks that Chiverius was happy in proposing Tlorap.bg instead of Msraupoc, and that then the Cratais, now Solano, or Fiume de' Pesci, would be the river which Strabo intended. 3 According to Pliny, these two promontories were separated by an interval of twelve stadia, or a mile and a half, which accords with the statement of Polybius. Thucydides, however, allows about two miles and a half, which he considers to be the utmost possible distance. Topo- graphers are divided as to the exact point of the Italian coast which answers to Cape Caenys. The Calabrian geographers say the Punta del Pezzo, called also Coda del Volpe, in which opinion Cluverius and D'An- ville coincide, but Holstenius contends for the Torre del Cavallo, which the French translators seem to favour. In fact, that may be the narrowest point, still it does not answer so well to Strabo's description of the figure and bearing of Cape Caenys as the Punta del Pezzo. 4 The temple or altar of Neptune. 5 The Columna Rhegina, as remarked by Cramer, (vol. ii. p. 427,) was probably a pillar set up to mark the consular road leading to the south of Italy. Strabo speaks of it as a small tower (book iii. c. v. 5, p. 265). In the Itinerary of Antoninus it is simply termed Columna, but in the inscription relative to the Via Aquilia, it is called Statua. The situation of this tower is generally identified with the site of La Catona.