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Chap. 5.] ACCOUI^T Or COUKTEIES, ETC. 279 
Demetrius^ Caesar the Dictator, the prince Caius^, and Do- 
mitius ISTero^, have at different times made the attempt to 
cut through this neck by fi^rming a navigable canal ; a pro- 
fane design, as may be clearly seen by the result^ in every 
one of these instances. 
Upon the middle of this intervening neck which we have 
called the Isthmus, stands the colony of Corinth, formerly 
known by the name of Ephyre^, situate upon the brow of a 
hill, at a distance of sixty stadia from the shore of either 
sea. Erom the heights of its citadel, which is called Acro- 
corinthos, or the " Heights of Corinth," and in which is the 
[Fountain of Pirene, it looks down upon the two seas which 
lie in the opposite directions. Erom Leucas to Patrse upon 
the Corinthian gulf is a distance of eighty-eight miles. The 
colony of Patrse^ is founded upon the most extensive pro- 
montory of the Peloponnesus, facing ^tolia and the river 
Evenus, the Corinthian Grulf being, as we have previously^ 
stated, less than a mile in width at the entrance there, 
though extending in length as far as the isthmus, a distance 
of eighty-jB.ve miles. 
^ Demetrius PoHorcetes, ktag of Macedonia, son of Antigonus, king of 
Asia. 
2 Caius Caligula, the Emperor. 
3 The Emperor Nero actually commenced the work, having opened 
the imdertaking with great pomp, and cut away a portion of the earth 
with his own hands. He had advanced four stadia, when the work was 
interrupted by the insurrection of JuHus Yindex in G^aul. 
^ We cannot agree with Hardouin that " exitus" here means " death," 
in allusion to the unfortunate end of aU those who had made the attempt. 
The opinion of Spanheim seems rather deserving of support (though 
censured by Hardouin), that it merely means " the result" in each case ; 
it being the fact, that m all the instances the contemplated undertaking 
was interrupted by some unforeseen event. Periander and Herodes Atti- 
cus also contemplated the formation of this channel. 
^ It is not known when it exchanged this name for that of Corinth ; being 
called by both names in Homer. Scarcely any remains of it are now 
to be seen. The small town on its site is called Gortho, a corruption of 
its ancient name. The water of the famed spring of Pirene is now only 
used for washing clothes. 
^ Now Patras. There are few remains of the ancient city, which was 
one of the twelve cities of Achaia. It was made a Roman colony by 
Augustas. 
^ See C. 3 of the present Book, p. 275. 
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