BOOK III. V. 42-45 



subject also I must do what 1 did when I spoke about 

 the heavens — touch upon particular points and only a 

 few of the stars. I merely ask my readers to remem- 

 ber that I am hastening on for the purpose of setting 

 forth in detail all the contents of the entire world. 



In shape, then, Italy much resembles an oak leaf, Oeography 

 being far longer than it is broad, bending towards the ^' 



left at its top and ending in the shape of an Amazon's 

 shield," the projection in the centre being called 

 Cocyntlios, while it sends out two horns along bays 

 of crescent shape, Leucopetra on the right and 

 Lacinium on thc left.'' Its length extends for 1020 

 miles, beginning from Aosta at the foot of the Alps 

 and passing through Rome and Capua in a winding 

 course to the town of Reggio situated on its shoulder, 

 where begins the curve, as it were, of the neck. The 

 measure would be much greater if the line were 

 carried on to Lacinium, but with that bend the line 

 would seem to diverge to one side. The breadth 

 varies, being four hundred and ten miles between 

 the rivers Var and Arsa where they flow into the 

 Mediterranean and the Adriatic, but about at the 

 middle, in the neighbourhood of the city of Rome, 

 from the mouth of the river Pescara, which flows into 

 the Adriatic Sea, to the mouths of the Tiber, its 

 breadth is 136 miles, and a Httle less from Castrum 

 Novum on the Adriatic Sea to Palo on the Tuscan 

 Sea, in no place exceeding a width of 200 miles. 

 The circuit of the entire coast from the Var round to 

 the Arsa is 2049 miles. Its distanccs from the 

 countries that surround it are as follows : from Istria 

 and Liburnia in certain places 100 niiles, from Epirus 

 and Illyricum, 50 miles, from Africa, according to 

 Marcus Varro, less than 200, from Sardinia 120, from 



35 



