226 plint's natural histoet. [Book III. 



Tarentum. Thence, at a distance of 32 miles, is the Pro- 

 montory of Acra Iapygia\ at which point Italy projects 

 the greatest distance into the sea. At a distance of 19 miles 

 jfrom this point is the town of Basta^, and then Hydruntum*, 

 the spot at which the Ionian is separated from the Adriatic 

 sea, and from which the distance across to Greece is the 

 shortest. The town of the Apolloniates'* lies opposite to it, 

 and the breadth of the arm of the sea which runs between is 

 not more than fifty miles. Pyrrhus, king of Epinis, was the 

 first who entertained the notion of uniting these two points 

 and making a passage on foot, by throwing a bridge across, 

 and after him M. Varro*, when commanding the fleet of 

 Pompey in the war against the Pirates. Other cares however 

 prevented either of them from accomplishing this design. 

 Passing Hydruntum, we come to the deserted site of 

 Soletum^, then Fratuertium, the Portus Tarentinus, the 

 haven of Miltopa, Lupia'^, Balesium*, Caelia', and then Brun- 

 dusium*", fifty miles from Hydruntum. This last place is 



J Tlie " lapygian Point," the present Capo di Santa Maria di Leuca. 



2 Its site is occupied by the httle village of Vaste near Poggiordo, ten 

 miles S.W. of Otranto. In the sixteenth century considerable remains 

 of Basta were still to be seen. 



3 The modem Otranto stands on its site. In the fourth century it 

 became the usual place of passage from Italy to Greece, Apollonia, and 

 Dyrrhachium. Few vestiges of the ancient city are now to be seen. 



■* Anciently ApoUonia, in Illyria, now called PaUina or Pollona. 



* This was M. Terentius Varro, called " the most learned of the Ro- 

 mans." His design, here mentioned, seems however to have evinced 

 neither learning nor discretion. 



6 Now called Soleto. The ruins of the ancient city, described by 

 Galateo as existing at Muro, are not improbably those of Fratuertiima, 

 or, perhaps more rightly, Fratuentum. 



7 The modem Lecce is supposed to occupy its site. 



' Called Valetium by Mela. Its ruins are still to be seen near San 

 Pietro Yemotico, on the road fix>m Brindisi to Lecce. The site is still 

 called Baleso or Yalesio. 



5 Ansart takes this to be the modem village of Cavallo, on the pro- 

 montory of that name ; but it is more probably the modem CegUe, situate 

 on a hill about twelve miles from the Adriatic, and twenty-seven miles west 

 of Brindisi. Extensive ruins still exist there. There was another town 

 of the same name in the south of Apulia. 



^" Now Brindisi. Virgil died here. The modem city, which is an 

 impoverished place, presents but few vestiges of antiquity. The distance 

 to Dyrrhachium is in reality only about 100 miles. 



