CHAP. 26. (22.)—DALMATIA.
Scardona, situate upon the river[1], at a distance of twelve
miles from the sea, forms the boundary of Liburnia and the
beginning of Dalmatia. Next to this place comes the ancient
country of the Autariatares and the fortress of Tariona, the
Promontory of Diomedes[2], or, as others call it, the peninsula
of Hyllis, 100 miles[3] in circuit. Then comes Tragurium, a
place with the rights of Roman citizens, and celebrated for
its marble, Sicum, a place to which Claudius, the emperor
lately deified, sent a colony of his veterans, and Salona[4], a
colony, situate 112 miles from ladera. To this place resort
for legal purposes, having the laws dispensed according to
their divisions into decuries or tithings, the Dahmatæ, forming 342
decuries, the Deurici 22, the Ditiones 239, the
Mazæi 269, and the Sardiates 52. In this region are Burnum[5],
Andetrium[6], and Tribulium, fortresses ennobled by
the battles of the Roman people. To the same jurisdiction
also belong the Issæi[7], the Colentini, the Separi, and the
Epetini, nations inhabiting the islands. After these come
the fortresses of Peguntium[8] and of Rataneum, with the
colony of Narona[9], the seat of the third jurisdiction, distant
from Salona eighty-two miles, and situate upon a river of the
same name, at a distance of twenty miles from the sea. M.
Varro states that eighty-nine states used to resort thither, but
now nearly the only ones that are known are the Cerauni[10]
with 24 decuries, the Daorizi with 17, the Dæsitiates with 103,
the Docleatæ with 33, the Deretini with 14, the Deremistæ
with 30, the Dindari with 33, the Glinditiones with 44, the
Melcomani with 24, the Naresii with 102, the Scirtarii with
72, the Siculotæ with 24, and the Vardæi, once the scourges
of Italy, with no more than 20 decuries. In addition to
these, this district was possessed by the Ozuæi, the Partheni,
the Hemasini, the Arthitæ, and the Armistæ. The colony
of Epidaurum[11] is distant from the river Naron 100 miles.
After Epidaurum come the following towns, with the rights
of Roman citizens:—Rhizinium[12], Acruvium[13], Butua,
Olcinium, formerly called Colchinium, having been founded by
the Colchians; the river Drilo[14], and, upon it, Scodra[15], a
town with the rights of Roman citizens, situate at a distance
of eighteen miles from the sea; besides in former times many
Greek towns and once powerful states, of which all remem-
brance is fast fading away. For in this region there were
formerly the Labeatæ, the Enderini[16], the Sasæi, the
Grabæi[17],
properly called Illyrii, the Taulantii[18], and the Pyrei. The
Promontory of Nymphæum on the sea-coast still retains its
name[19]; and there is Lissum, a town enjoying the rights of
Roman citizens, at a distance from Epidaurum of 100 miles.
(23.) At Lissum begins the province of Macedonia[20], the
nations of the Parthini[21], and behind them the Dassaretæ[22].
The mountains of Candavia[23] are seventy-eight miles from
Dyrrhachium. On the coast lies Denda, a town with the
rights of Roman citizens, the colony of Epidamnum[24], which,
on account of its inauspicious name, was by the Romans
called Dyrrhachium, the river Aöus[25], by' some called Æas,
and Apollonia[26], formerly a colony of the Corinthians, at a
distance of four miles from the sea, in the vicinity of which
the celebrated Nymphæum[27] is inhabited by the barbarous
Amantes[28] and Buliones. Upon the coast too is the town of
Oricum[29], founded by the Colchians. At this spot begins
Epirus, with the Acroceraunian[30] mountains, by which we have
previously mentioned[31] this Gulf of Europe as bounded.
Oricum is distant from the Promontory of Salentinum in
Italy eighty[32] miles.
1. The Titus or Kerka. Scardona still retains its name.
2. Now called the Cabo di San Nicolo.
3. This measurement would make it appear that the present Sabioncello
is meant, but that it ought to come below, after Narona. He probably
means the quasi peninsula upon which the town of Tragurium, now Trau
Vecchio, was situate; but its circumference is hardly fifty miles. So, if
Sicum is the same as the modern Sebenico, it ought to have been
mentioned previously to Tragurium.
4. Spalatro, the retreat of Diocletian, was in the vicinity of Salona. Its
ancient name was Spolatum, and at the village of Dioclea near it, that
emperor was born. On the ruins of the once important city of Salona,
rose the modern Spalato or Spalatro.
5. Its site is unknown, though D'Anville thinks that it was probably
that of the modern Tain.
6. Clissa is supposed to occupy its site. Tribulium is probably the
modern Ugliane.
7. The people of the island of Issa, now Lissa, off the coast of
Liburnia. It was originally peopled by a Parian or a Syracusan
colony. It
was famous for its wine, and the beaked ships "Lembi Issaici," rendered
the Romans good service in the war with Philip of Macedon.
8. The modern Almissa stands on its site; and on that of Rataneum,
Mucarisca.
9. Now called Narenta; the river having the same name.
10. The localities of all these peoples are unknown.
11. Or Epidaurus. It is not noticed in history till the civil war between
Pompey and Cæsar, when, having declared in favour of the latter, it was
besieged by M. Octavius. The site of it is known as Ragusa Vecchia, or
Old Ragusa, but in the Illyric language it is called Zaptal. Upon its
destruction, its inhabitants moved to Rausium, the present Ragusa.
There are no remains extant of the old town.
12. It still retains the name of Risine, upon the Golfo di Cattaro, the
ancient Sinus Rhizonicus.
13. In the former editions called "Ascrivium." The modern Cattaro is
supposed to occupy its site. Butua is the modern Budua, and Olcinium,
Dulcigno. It is probable that the derivation of the name of this last
place, as suggested by Pliny, is only fanciful.
14. Now called Drin and Drino.
15. Now called Scutari or Scodar, the capital of the province called by
the Turks Sangiac de Scodar.
16. According to Hardouin, the modern Endero stands on the site of
their capital.
17. Grabia, mentioned by Pouqueville, in his "Voyage de la Grece," seems
to retain the name of this tribe.
18. Pouqueville is of opinion that they occupied the district now known
as Musaché.
19. Dalechamp thinks that the two words "Retinet nomen" do not belong
to the text, but have crept in from being the gloss of some more recent
commentator. They certainly appear to be out of place. This promontory
is now called Cabo Rodoni.
20. The modern Albania.
21. Pouqueville is of opinion that they inhabited the district about the
present village of Presa, seven leagues N.E. of Durazzo.
22. From Ptolemy we learn that Lychnidus was their town; the site of
which, according to Pouqueville, is still pointed out at a spot about four
leagues south of Ochrida, on the eastern bank of the Lake of Ochrida.
23. Now called El Bassan; though Pouqueville says Tomoros or De
Caulonias. Commencing in Epirus, they separated Illyricum from
Macedonia. See Lucan's Pharsalia, B. vi. 1. 331.
24. The Romans are said to have changed its Greek name Epidamnum,
from an idea that it was inauspicious, as implying "damnum" or "ruin."
It has been asserted that they gave it the name of Durrhachium or
Dyrrhachium, from "durum," rugged, on account of the ruggedness of its
locality. This however cannot be the case, as the word, like its
predecessor, is of Greek origin. Its unfortunate name, "Epidamnus,"
is the
subject of several puns and witticisms in that most amusing perhaps of all
the plays of Plautus, the Menæchmi. It was of Corcyrean origin, and
after playing a distinguished part in the civil wars between Pompey and
Cæsar, was granted by Augustus to his veteran troops. The modern
Durazzo stands on its site.
25. Now called the Voioussa.
26. The monastery of Pollina stands on its site. It was founded by
the Corinthians and Corcyreans. There are scarcely any vestiges of it
remaining.
27. See further mention of this spot in B. ii. c. 110.
28. Pouqueville states that the ruins of Amantia are to be seen near the
village of Nivitza, on the right bank of the river Suchista. The remains
of Bullis, the chief town of the Buliones, according to the same traveller,
are to be seen at a place called Gradista, four miles from the sea.
29. The same writer states that Oricum was situate on the present Gulf
De la Vallona or d'Avlona, and that its port was the place now called by
the Greeks Porto Raguseo, and by the Turks Liman Padisha.
30. The "Heights of Thunder." They were so called from the frequent
thunderstorms with which they were visited. The range however
was more properly called the "Ceraunii Montes," and the promontory
terminating it "Acroceraunii" or "Acroceraunia," meaning "the end of
the Ceraunii." The range is now called the Mountains of Khimara, and
the promontory, Glossa, or in Italian, Linguetta, meaning "the Tongue."
31. In C. 15 of the present Book.
32. About 70 English miles is the distance.