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Book III, Chapter 1

Location of Italy
(from the Sixth Map of Europe)

 p71  Italy is terminated on the west by the Alps mountains along that line, which runs, as is set down, from the Adula mountains as far as

then from the shore of the Tyrrhenian sea to Neapolis and to the Leucopetra promontory; on the north by the Alps mountains, which are below Raetia, and by the Caravancas mountains, which are below Noricum, the location of which has been indicated above, and likewise by the shore of the Adriatic bay which extends from the Tilaventus river to the Garganus mountains; on the east by that maritime coast which extends from Garganus mountains as far as Hydruntum; on the south by the shore of the Adriatic bay which extends from the Tilaventus river as far as the confines of Illyria, and by that coast of the Tyrrhenian and the Ligurian sea, which extends from the mouth of the Varus river as far as Neapolis, then along the seacoast from Leucopetra as far as Hydruntum.

The entire line of the seacoast is thus described from the mouth of the Varus river on the Ligurian sea:

On the coast of the Massilienses

of Liguria, which in Greek is called Ligustice, near the Ligurian sea

of the Tusci who in Greek are called Tyrrhini, near the Tyrrhenian sea, are

of the Latini on the Tyrrhenian sea

 p72  of the Campani, on the Tyrrhenian sea

of the Picentini, on the Tyrrhenian sea

of the Lucani, on the Tyrrhenian sea

of the Bruttii, on the Tyrrhenian sea

of Magna Graecia, on the Adriatic sea

on Scylacius bay

on the bay of Tarentum

of the Salentini

of Calabria, on the Ionian sea

of the Apuli Peucenti, on the Ionian sea

of the Apuli Dauni, on the Ionian sea

of the Frentani on this bay

of the Paeligni on the same

of the Maurrucini on the same bay

of the Piceni on the same bay

of the Semnones on the same bay

of the Boii Galli on the same bay

Above the mouth of the Padus river, on the coast of Venetia

of the Carni on the Adriatic at the innermost bend of the sea

 p73  Istria where next to the innermost bend of the sea are

The interior towns of Istria

Interior towns of the Carni

Interior towns of Venetia

Towns of the Cenomani who are below Venetia

Towns of the Beluni, who are toward the west of Venetia

Towns of the Insubres, who are toward the west from the Cenomani

Towns of the Salassi, who are below the Insubres

Towns of the Taurini who are below the Salassi

Towns of the Libici, who are below the Insubres

Towns of the Ceutrones in the Graian Alps

Town of the Leponti, which is in the Cottian Alps

Town of the Caturiges in the Graian Alps

Towns of the Segusani in the Graian Alps

Town of the Nerusi in the Maritime Alps

Town of the Suetri in the Maritime Alps

Towns of the Vedianti in the Maritime Alps

The Appennine mountains are located not far above Liguria beginning at the Alps, and from Liguria extending as far as Ancona, then turning they approach the Adriatic, and extend as far as the Garganus mountains, then turning they extend toward the south to Leucopetra promontory.

Liguria, which is located below the Appennine mountains, has the following interior towns:

Gallia Togata is located above those mountains, extending as far as Ravenna, and it has these towns:

Towns of the Tusci in the interior

Towns of the Semnones in the interior

Towns of the Piceni, in the interior

Towns of the Umbri, who are above the Tusci

Towns of the Umbri who are toward the east of the Tusci

Town of the Sabini, who are toward the east of the Umbri,

Towns of the Aequiculi, who are east of the Sabini

Towns of the Marsi, who are toward the east from the Aequiculi

Towns of the Praetuti, who are toward the east from the Marsi

Towns of the Vestini, who are toward the east from the Praetuti

Town of the Marucini in the interior

Towns of the Latini in the interior

Towns of the Peligni in the interior

Towns of the Frentani in the interior

Town of the Caraceni, who are below the Frentani

Towns of the Samnites, who are below the Peligni and the Caraceni

Towns of the Campani in the interior

Towns of the Picentini in the interior

Towns of the Lucani in the interior

Towns of the Irpini, who are toward the east from the Picentini and the Lucani

Towns of the Apuli Dauni in the interior

Towns of the Apuli Peuciti in the interior

Towns of the Bruttii in the interior

Towns of Magna Graecia in the interior

Towns of the Salentini in the interior

Towns of Calabria in the interior

Islands which are near Italy in the Ligurian sea

These are the islands in the Tyrrhenian sea

In the Ionian sea there are five islands which are called Diomedeae

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Thayer's Notes:

a The edition has 48°15 — which can only be an error: whether 4 for 3, either in the 20c or in the 16c, or the less likely xxxx or xl for xxx in a Latin translation, or finally μ for λ hardly matters.

❦

b The edition reads

Since Ptolemy (reasonably in view of the deficiencies of the methods of his time) rounds all coördinates to 5 minutes, 35*42 cannot be the longitude he had. In latitude, 40°00 would put Cortona in the sea. I therefore assumed modern editorial error, and emended to the value given, which is OK relative to Arretium, putting it 20′ E and 5′ S of that city (actual value: 5′ E and 12′ S of Arretium).

Note 7/28/98: checking the Müller edition, I find that my guess was correct. Both the Greek and the Latin figures in Müller's text give 35*00 and 42°40.

❦

c Again, since Ptolemy rounds all coördinates to 5 minutes, this must be a modern editorial error. This one is not as easy to emend as Cortona, however: I've left it as my edition has it.

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