BOOK XIV. VIII. 62-65 



the reputation of this district also is passing out of 

 vogue through the fault of paying more attention to 

 quantity than to quahty. The Falernian district 

 begins at the Campanian bridge as you turn left to 

 reach the Colonia Urbana of Sulla lately attached 

 to Capua, and the Faustus estate begins about four 

 miles from the village of Caedicium, which is about 

 six miles from Sinuessa. No other wine has a 

 higher rank at the present day. It is the only wine 

 that takes hght when a flame is applied to it. It 

 has three varieties, one dry, one sweet and one a 

 Hght wine. Some people distinguish three vintages 

 as follows — Caucinian growing on the tops of the 

 hills, Faustian half-way up them, and Falernian at 

 the bottom. It must also not be omitted that 

 none of the grapes that produce the celebrated 

 vintages are agreeable to eat. 



The third prize is attained in various degrees by the Third-dn.$s 

 vines of Alba in the neighbourhood of the city, which '^'""' 

 are extremely sweet and occasionally dry, and also 

 by those of Sorrento which only grow in vineyards," 

 and which are very highly recommended for con- 

 valescents because of their thinness and health- 

 giving qualities. The Emperor Tiberius used to say 

 that the doctors had made a corner to puff the Sor- 

 rento vintage, but that except for that it was only a 

 generous vinegar, and his successor the Emperor 

 Gaius called it best quality flat M-ine. Its place 

 is contested by the vineyards of Monte Massico and 

 the slopes of Monte Barbaro looking towards Pozzuoli 

 and Baiae. For the Statana vineyards adjoining the 

 Falernian territory unquestionably once reached the 

 first place, and estabHshed the fact that each locaHty 

 has its own period and its own rise and decHne of 



229 



