Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/512

 498 STRABO. CASATJB. 326. which is a little more than four stadia in width. The circuit of the gulf is 400 stadia, and the whole has good harbours. On sailing into it, on the right hand are the Acarnanes, who are Greeks ; and here near the entrance of the gulf is a tem- ple of Apollo Actius, situated on an eminence ; in the plain below is a sacred grove, and a naval station. Here Augustus Csesar 1 dedicated as offerings one-tenth of the vessels taken in war, from vessels of one bank to vessels of ten banks of oars. The vessels, and the buildings destined for their reception, were destroyed, it is said, by fire. On the left hand are Nicopolis, 2 and the Cassopaei, a tribe of the Epirotoe, extending as far as the recess of the gulf at Ambracia. Ambracia 3 is situated a little above the recess of the bay, and was founded by Gorgus, (Torgus, Tolgus,) the son of Cypselus. The river Arathus flows beside it, which may be navigated up the stream to the city, a distance of a few stadia. It rises in Mount Tymphe, and the Parorrea. This city was formerly in a very flourishing condition, and hence the gulf received its name from the city. Pyrrhus, however, embellished it more than any other person, and made it a royal residence. In kter times, 4 the Macedonians and Romans harassed this and other cities by continual wars, caused by the refractory disposition of the inhabitants, so that Augustus, at length perceiving that these cities were entirely deserted, collected their remaining inhabitants into one city, which he called Nicopolis, situated upon the gulf. He called it after the victory which he obtained in front, of 1 Caesar Augustus (then Caesar Octavianus) obtained the celebrated victory of Actium over Marcus Antonius, B. c. 31. The latter, after his defeat, fled into Egypt with Cleopatra. The battle would appear to have taken place at the entrance into the Gulf of Arta, and therefore probably off La Punta, opposite Prevesa, and not off the modern town of Azio. 2 In the Austrian map a ground-plan of the ruins of Nicopolis are given, at about one mile to the north of Prevesa. 3 The Gulf of Ambracia, and the rivers which flow into it, are much distorted in D'Anville. According to more modern maps, the Arathus is the most western of the streams which flow into the gulf, and the ancient city was situated at about 15 miles from the mouth. The Loru (the Ara- thus) ; the Mauro Potamo or Glykys (the Acheron) ; the Zagura (the Selleis ?) which falls into it; and the Tercino, which falls into the Ka- lamas, (the Thyamis or Thyamus,) all rise in the mountain ridge Olyt- kiza, tibout 10 miles to the west of lanina. 4 Livy xxxviii. c. 3.