226 
PLINX'S KATUEAL HISTOET. 
[Book III. i 
Tarentum. Thence, at a distance of 32 miles, is tlie Pro- 
montory of Acra Iapygia\ at which point Italy projects 
the greatest distance into the sea. At a distance of 19 miles 
from 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 Grreece 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 Epirus, 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^, Csolia^, and then Brun- 
dusium^^, fifty miles from Hydruntum. This last place is 
1 The " lapygian Point," the present Capo di Santa Maria di Leuca. 
2 Its site is occupied by the Httle village of Yaste near Poggiordo, ten 
miles S.W. of Otranto. In the sixteenth century considerable remains 
of Basta were still to be seen. 
3 The modern Otranto stands on its site. In the fourth century it 
became the usual place of passage from Italy to Greece, Apollonia, and 
Dyrrhachium. Pew vestiges of the ancient city are now to be seen. 
4 Anciently Apollonia, in Illyria, now called Palhna or Pollona. 
^ This was M. Terentius Yarro, called "the most learned of the Ko- 
mans." His design, here mentioned, seems however to have evinced 
neither learning nor discretion. 
6 'Now caUed Soleto. The ruins of the ancient city, described by 
Galateo as existmg at Muro, are not improbably those of Pratuertium, 
or, perhaps more rightly, Pratuentum. 
7 The modern Lecce is supposed to occupy its site. 
8 Called Yaletium by Mela. Its ruins are stiU to be seen near San 
Pietro Yernotico, on the road from Brindisi to Lecce. The site is stiU. 
called Baleso or Yalesio. 
^ Ansart takes this to be the modern village of Cavallo, on the pro- 
montory of that name ; but it is more probably the modem Ceghe, 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 Apuha. 
^0 Now Brindisi. Yirgil 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. 
