170 History of Nature. [BOOK III. 



as Parthenope, so called from the Tomb of a Siren : Her- 

 culaneum, Pompeii : and, not far off, the Mountain 

 Vesuvius overlooketh, and the River Sernus runneth by 

 the Territory of Nuceria ; and within nine Miles of the Sea, 

 Nuceria itself. Surrentum, with the Promontory of Mi- 

 nerva, the Seat once of the Sirens. From Circeii the Navi- 

 gation lieth open seventy-eight Miles. This is counted the 

 first Region of Italy, from Tiber, according to the Descrip- 

 tion of Augustus. Within it are these Colonies : Capua, so 

 called of the Champaign Country ; Aquinum ; Suessa, Ve- 

 nafrum, Sora, Teanum, named also Sidicinum ; and Nola : 

 the Towns Abellinum, Aricia, Alba Longa, Acerrani, Allifani, 

 Atinates, Aletrinates, Anagnini, Atellani, Asulani, Arpinates, 

 Auximates, Avellani, Aifaterni ; and they who of the Latin, 

 Hernic, and Labicane Territories, are surnamed accordingly : 

 Bovillse, Calatiae, Casinum, Calenum, Capitulum, Cernetum> 

 Cernetani, who are called also Mariani. Corani, descended 

 from Dardanus the Trojan. Cubulterini, Castrimonienses, 

 Cingulani. Fabienses, and in the Mount Albanus, Foro-popu- 

 lienses. Out of the Falern Territory, Frusinates, Feren- 

 tinates, Freginates, Fabraterni the Old, Fabraterni the New, 

 Ficolenses, Fricolenses, Foro-Appi, Forentani, Gabini, In- 

 terramnates, Succasani, called also Lirinates, Ilionenses, 

 Lavinii, Norbani, Nementani Prenestini, whose City was in 

 Times past named Stephanus, Privernates, Setini, Signini, 

 Suessulani, Telini, Trebutini, surnamed Balinienses, Trebani, 

 Tusculani, Verulani, Veliterni, Ulubrenses, Ulvernates, and 

 above Rome herself: the other Name 1 whereof to utter is 



1 Valentia. 



In the second chapter of book xxviii., Pliny tells us, on the autho- 

 rity of authors adduced by Verrius Flaccus, that the Romans, when about 

 to commence the siege of any place, first called upon their priests to in- 

 voke the deity under whose protection that place was, and promised him 

 the same, or even a greater, degree of worship than he had previously 

 received. And that the enemies of Rome might not have recourse to the 

 same expedient, it was kept ; a strict secret under the protection of what 

 particular deity their own city was placed. Valentia appears to have been 

 the secret name, and it was never divulged till Valerius Soranus rashly 

 uttered it, and, as we learn from Plutarch (in " Quaest. Rom." p. 278), 

 uffered the punishment of his impiety. St. Paul found at Athens an 



