pool, having a conical hill in its center, which rose in one night from a subaqueous volcano.

Vesuvius is the principal Mountain in Campania though it does not appear to have been a volcano in the days of Virgil, who merely celebrates the fertility of its soil. * The first eruption of Vesuvius which we have on record, is that A. D. 79, when the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiæ, were overwhelmed with ashes, and the elder Pliny lost his life by approaching too near the volcano.

At the back of Latium and Campania is Samnium and Hirpini; the two first cities of which, beyond Campania, are Caudium, celebrated for the ignominious defeat of the Romans by the Samnite General Pontius, at the Fauces Caudinæ, A. U. C. 433. B. C. 321. and Beneventum, or Benevento, originally called Maleventum, but which changed its name for one of more favourable omen. Here Pyrrhus was defeated by Curius, and retired to Epirus, B. C. 274. A. U. C. 480. The Fauces Caudinæ are still called Forchie. Above these, in Samnium properly so called, is Allifæ, antiently celebrated for its manufacture of pottery †, and Æsernia, now Isernia. Above, bordering on the Sabines, were the Marsi, celebrated for their valour ‡, and East of

* Talem dives arat Capua, et vicina Vesevo
Ora jugo.

+ Invertunt Allifanis vinaria tota.

Virg. Georg. II. 224.

Hor. Sat. II.

Hæc genus acre virum, Marsos pubemque Sabellam,
Assuetumque malo Ligurem, Volscosque verutos
Extulit

Virg. Georg. II. 167.

them the Peligni; these two Samnite tribes were reputed to possess great skill in magic.

*

Marrubium, the principal City of the Marsi, was situated at the South East extremity of the Lake Fucinus, now Lago di Celano. Among the Peligni was Corfinium, and, a little lower, Sulmo, now Sulmona, where Ovid was born. North West of these was Amiternum. On the Coast of the Adriatic were the Samnite tribes of the Vestini, Marrucini, and Frentani. This part of Italy is now called Abruzzo. The principal River in Samnium is the Sagrus, or Șangro.

The remainder of Italy is called Magna Græcia, from the number of Grecian colonies which it contained. It is divided into the principal provinces of Apulia, Messapia, or Japygia, called also Calabria, Lucania, and the country of the Bruttii, or Bruttiorum Ager.

Apulia is now called Puglia; its coast was called Daunia, from Daunus, an antient King of Apulia, who was the father-in-law of Diomede. Diomede settled here after the Trojan war, and founded the city, of

Marsis quæsitæ in montibus herbæ.

Nec vocata mens tua

Marsis redibit vocibus.

Quid proderit ditasse Pelignas anus

Velociusve miscuisse toxicum.

H

Virg. Æn. VII. 758.

Hor. Epod. V. 75.

1

Arpi*, still so called. A little above Arpi was Sipontum, near the present city of Manfredonia. West of Arpi, and bordering on Samnium, is Luceria, or Lucera, celebrated for its wool. + Toward Lucania is Venusia, now Venosa, the birth-place of Horace ‡, and near it § Bantia and Acherontia, or Acerenza, and Ferentum, places only memorable for having been recorded by him. North East of Venusia is Canusium, or Canosa,. built by Diomede, and a little Eastward of Canusium is Cannæ, the fatal scene of defeat and slaughter to the Romans, in the dreadful battle against Hannibal, May 21st, A. U. C. 538, B. C. 216. The country between Apulia and Messapia was antiently called Peucetia, the principal city of which was Barium ¶, frequented by fishermen.

-The principal River of Apulia was the *Aufidus or Ofanto, a violent Apennine stream, which falls into the sea near Cannæ. In the spur of the boot was Mons Garganus +, celebrated for its oak groves, and now called Monte St. Angelo; and near Venusia was Mons Vultur‡, bordering on Lucania, frequented by the infant Horace.

Below Apulia is Messapia, or Iapygia, containing two nations, the Calabri on the North East, and the Salentini on the South Western side of the heel of Italy. The Calabri have given to this country the general name of Calabria. On the Adriatic is Brundusium, or Brindisi, the principal port for the passengers from Greece to Italy. Horace has described the road from Rome to this place in the fifth satire of his first book. Below it is Rudiæ, the birth-place of Ennius, the friend of Scipio Africanus

and father of Latin poetry*, and still lower Hydruntum, now Otranto. The extreme promontory of the heel of Italy was called Japygium, or Salentinum Promontorium ; above it is Matinum, celebrated for its bees. + At the top of the heel, at the West, is Tarentum, now Tarento, founded by the Lacedæmonians. The principal River of Calabria is the small stream of the Galesus‡, or. Galeso,

Below Campania and Apulia is Lucania, the first city of which, under Campania, is Pæstum, now Pesti, on the coast, celebrated for its roses §; this city was called by the Greeks Posidonia, in honour of Neptune. Below is Velia, mentioned by Horace. || On the coast of the Tarentine bay was Metapontum, the celebrated school of Pythagoras, who died there B. C. 497; below it, Heraclea and Sybaris, or Thurium, so celebrated for the

* Ennius emeruit, Calabris in montibus ortus, Contiguus poni, Scipio magne, tibi.

Quid sit hyems Veliæ, quid cœlum, Vala, Salerni.

Hor. Epist. I. 15.