282 Correspondence — Rev. J. E. H. Thomson. 



have been published not long since by Italian investigators, who 

 have shown the conclusions arrived at by myself and others were 

 correct, that sound-waves travel faster than the coarser meclianical 

 vibrations when traversing most rocks. 



7, Chiatamone, Naples. H. J. Johnston-Lavis. 



THE TEMPLE OF JUPITER SERAPIS IN PUTEOLI (POZZUOLI). 



Sir, — It is well known that the ruins of this Temple have been 

 looked upon as the most striking example of subsidence in historic 

 times. Although it has taken place within the Christian era, the 

 date has been but vaguely known. Babbage, in his article, Geological 

 Transactions, vol. iii. (1847), mentions an inscription of Alexander 

 Severus on the Temple asserting it to have been adorned by his 

 munificence. As Alexander Severus reigned from a..d. 222 to 235, 

 at that time the Temple must still have have been above sea-level. 

 In Lyell's Principles, vol. ii. p. 173, there is a quotation from 

 Lofifrado which proves that in 1530 a great part of the site of 

 modern Pozzuoli of ancient Puteoli, was under water. The city was 

 captured by Alaric a.d. 410 ; then by Genserie 455 ; then by 

 Votila 545 (E. H. Bunbury in Smith's Diet. Geog. art. Puteoli) ; 

 but we have no information as to whether the Serapeum was then 

 above or under water. The Temple of Serapis then was above 

 water in 230 and below water 1530, and during the intervening 

 ]300 years there seems no reliable information. 



However, in the Acta Beta et Putili, Greek forms, dating according 

 to Lipsius from the fifth century, we have the following passage — • 

 I quote from Walker's Translation Ante-Nicene Library, vol. xvi. 

 p. 258: — "And Paul being in Ponteole (Puteoli) and having heard 

 that Dioscorus had been beheaded, being grieved with great grief 

 gazing into the night of Heaven said ' Oh Lord Almighty .... 

 punish this city and bring out of it all who have believeil in God 

 and followed His word.' He said to them therefore ' follow me.' 

 And going forth from Pontiole they came to a place called Baias 

 (Baiae) and looking up with their eyes they all see that city Pontiole 

 sink into sea-shore (e/? t)ju ox9au tiJ's OaXaaa^^) about one fathom 

 [icael op'^iviav fitav) and there it is until this day for a remembrance 

 under the sea." It is evident that when the Greek of the Acta Petri 

 et Pauli was written Pozzuoli was under water, as it was in the 

 days of Lofi'redo (though perhaps not so deeply submerged), and had 

 been so for so long that the memory of the subsidence and the 

 circumstances attending it had been utterly lost. If we allow a 

 century to have been sufficient to have caused this utter oblivion, 

 we have then reduced the 1300 years to about 150. In other words 

 somewhere between the middle of the third century and the middle 

 of the fourth this event must have occurred. The phrase " into the 

 sea-shore" (g/? t)jv oxdcw tj/? OaXdaai]^) supports Babbage's theory 

 that the Temple first sank in a lake of brackish water. This is 

 confirmed by the assertion that the city sank a fathom (wtrei opr^inav 

 jxiav). J. E. II. Thomson. 



. 10, Allen Park, Stirling. 



