̔η δὲ Κύρνος ὑπὸ τῶν Ῥωμαίων καλεῖται Κορσίκα. οἰκεῖται δὲ φαύλως τραχεῖά τε οὖσα καὶ τοῖς πλείστοις μέρεσι δύσβατος τελέως ὥστε τοὺς κατέχοντας τὰ ὄρη καὶ ἀπὸ λῃστηρίων ζῶντας ἀγριωτέρους εἶναι θηρίων. ὁπόταν γοῦν ὁρμήσωσιν οἱ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατηγοὶ καὶ προσπεσόντες τοῖς ἐρύμασι πολὺ πλῆθος ἕλωσι, τῶν ἀνδραπόδων ὁρᾶν ἔστιν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ καὶ θαυμάζειν ὅσον ἐμφαίνεται τὸ θηριῶδες καὶ τὸ βοσκηματῶδες ἐν αὐτοῖς· ἢ γὰρ οὐχ ὑπομένουσι ζῆν ἢ ζῶντες ἀπαθείᾳ καὶ ἀναισθησίᾳ τοὺς ὠνησαμένους ἐπιτρίβουσιν, ὥστε καίπερ τὸ τυχὸν καταβαλοῦσιν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ὅμως μεταμέλειν. ἔστι δʼ ὅμως οἰκήσιμά τινα μέρη καὶ πολίσματά που Βλησίνων τε καὶ Χάραξ καὶ Ἐνικονίαι καὶ Ὀυάπανες. μῆκος δὲ τῆς νήσου φησὶν ὁ χωρογράφος μίλια ἑκατὸν ἑξήκοντα, πλάτος δὲ ἑβδομήκοντα· Σαρδόνος δὲ μῆκος διακόσια εἴκοσι, πλάτος δὲ ἐνενήκοντα ὀκτώ. κατʼ ἄλλους δὲ Κύρνου μὲν περίμετρος περὶ χιλίους λέγεται καὶ διακοσίους σταδίους, τῆς δὲ Σαρδόνος καὶ τετρακισχιλίους. ἔστι δὲ αὐτῆς τὸ πολὺ μέρος τραχὺ καὶ οὐκ εἰρηναῖον, πολὺ δὲ καὶ χώραν ἔχον εὐδαίμονα τοῖς πᾶσι, σίτῳ δὲ καὶ διαφερόντως. πόλεις δʼ εἰσὶ μὲν πλείους, ἀξιόλογοι δὲ Κάραλις καὶ Σοῦλχοι. τῇ δʼ ἀρετῇ τῶν τόπων ἀντιτάττεταί τις καὶ μοχθηρία· νοσερὰ γὰρ ἡ νῆσος τοῦ θέρους καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τοῖς εὐκαρποῦσι χωρίοις· τὰ δʼ αὐτὰ ταῦτα καὶ πορθεῖται συνεχῶς ὑπὸ τῶν ὀρείων οἳ καλοῦνται Διαγησβεῖς, Ἰολαεῖς πρότερον ὀνομαζόμενοι. λέγεται γὰρ Ἰόλαος ἄγων τῶν παίδων τινὰς τοῦ Ἡρακλέους ἐλθεῖν δεῦρο καὶ συνοικῆσαι τοῖς τὴν νῆσον ἔχουσι βαρβάροις· Τυρρηνοὶ δʼ ἦσαν· ὕστερον δὲ Φοίνικες ἐπεκράτησαν οἱ ἐκ Καρχηδόνος, καὶ μετὰ τούτων Ῥωμαίοις ἐπολέμουν· καταλυθέντων δὲ ἐκείνων πάνθʼ ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίοις ὑπῆρξε. τέτταρα δʼ ἐστὶ τῶν ὀρείων ἔθνη, Πάρατοι Σοσσινάτοι Βάλαροι Ἀκώνιτες, ἐν σπηλαίοις οἰκοῦντες, εἰ δέ τινα ἔχουσι γῆν σπόριμον, οὐδὲ ταύτην ἐπιμελῶς σπείροντες, ἀλλὰ τὰς τῶν ἐργαζομένων καθαρπάζοντες, τοῦτο μὲν τῶν αὐτόθι τοῦτο δʼ ἐπιπλέοντες τοῖς ἐν τῇ περαίᾳ, Πισάταις μάλιστα. οἱ δὲ πεμπόμενοι στρατηγοὶ τὰ μὲν ἀντέχουσι, πρὸς ἃ δʼ ἀπαυδῶσιν, ἐπειδὰν μὴ λυσιτελῇ τρέφειν συνεχῶς ἐν τόποις νοσεροῖς στρατόπεδον. λείπεται δὲ στρατηγεῖν τέχνας τινάς· καὶ δὴ τηρήσαντες ἔθος τι τῶν βαρβάρων (πανηγυρίζουσι γὰρ ἐπὶ πλείους ἡμέρας ἀπὸ τῆς λεηλασίας), ἐπιτίθενται τότε καὶ χειροῦνται πολλούς. γίνονται δʼ ἐνταῦθα οἱ τρίχα φύοντες αἰγείαν ἀντʼ ἐρέας κριοί, καλούμενοι δὲ μούσμωνες, ὧν ταῖς δοραῖς θωρακίζονται. χρῶνται δὲ πέλτῃ καὶ ξιφιδίῳ.
Cyrnus is called by the Romans Corsica; it is poorly inhabited, being both rugged and in many parts entirely inaccessible, so that the mountaineers, who live by plunder, are more savage than wild beasts. Whenever any Roman general invades the country, and, penetrating into the wilds, seizes a vast number of slaves, it is a marvel to behold in Rome how savage and bestial they appear. For they either scorn to live, or if they do live, aggravate their purchasers by their apathy and insensibility, causing them to regret the purchase-money, however small. We must remark, however, that some districts are habitable, and that there are some small cities, for instance Blesino, Charax, Eniconiae, and Vapanes. The chorographer says that the length of this island is 160 miles, its breadth 70; that the length of Sardinia is 220, and its breadth 98. According to others, the perimeter of Cyrnus is said to be about 1200 stadia, and of Sardinia 4000. A great portion of this latter is rugged and untranquil; another large portion is fertile in every production, but particularly in wheat. There are many cities, some are considerable, as Caralis and Sulchi. There is however an evil, which must be set against the fertility of these places; for during the summer the island is unhealthy, more particularly so in the most fertile districts; in addition to this, it is often ravaged by the mountaineers, whom they call Diagesbes, who formerly were named Iolaënses. For it is said that Iolaus brought hither certain of the children of Hercules, and established himself amongst the barbarian possessors of the island, who were Tyrrhenians. Afterwards the Phoenicians of Carthage became masters of the island, and, assisted by the inhabitants, carried on war against the Romans; but after the subversion of the Carthaginians, the Romans became masters of the whole. There are four nations of mountaineers, the Parati, Sossinati, Balari, and the Aconites. These people dwell in caverns. Although they have some arable land, they neglect its cultivation, preferring rather to plunder what they find cultivated by others, whether on the island or on the continent, where they make descents, especially upon the Pisatae. The prefects sent [into Sardinia] sometimes resist them, but at other times leave them alone, since it would cost too dear to maintain an army always on foot in an unhealthy place: they have, however, recourse to the arts of stratagem, and taking advantage of the custom of the barbarians, who always hold a great festival for several days after returning from a plundering expedition, they then fall upon them, and capture many. There are rams here which, instead of wool, have hair resembling that of a goat; they are called musmones, and the inhabitants make corselets of their hides. They likewise arm themselves with a pelta and a small sword.
Ἀπὸ πάσης δὲ τῆς μεταξὺ Ποπλωνίου καὶ Πίσης ἱκανῶς αἱ νῆσοι κατοπτεύονται· ἐπιμήκεις δʼ εἰσὶ καὶ παράλληλοι σχεδὸν αἱ τρεῖς ἐπὶ νότον καὶ Λιβύην τετραμμέναι· πολὺ μέντοι τῷ μεγέθει λείπεται τῶν ἄλλων ἡ Αἰθαλία. ἀπό τε τῆς Λιβύης τὸ ἐγγυτάτω δίαρμά φησιν ὁ χωρογράφος εἰς τὴν Σαρδὼ μίλια τριακόσια. μετὰ δὲ τὸ Ποπλώνιον Κόσαι πόλις μικρὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς θαλάττης· ἔστι δʼ ἐν κόλπῳ βουνὸς ὑψηλός, ἐφʼ οὗ τὸ κτίσμα· ὑπόκειται δʼ Ἡρακλέους λιμὴν καὶ πλησίον λιμνοθάλαττα καὶ παρὰ τὴν ἄκραν τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κόλπου θυννοσκοπεῖον. ἀκολουθεῖ γὰρ ὁ θύννος οὐ τῇ βαλάνῳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ πορφύρᾳ παρὰ γῆν, ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῆς ἔξω θαλάττης μέχρι καὶ Σικελίας. ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν Κοσῶν εἰς Ὤστια παραπλέουσι πολίχνιά ἐστι Γραουίσκοι καὶ Πύργοι καὶ Ἄλσιον καὶ Φρεγῆνα. εἰς μὲν δὴ Γραουίσκους στάδιοι τριακόσιοι, ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταξὺ τόπος ἐστὶ καλούμενος Ῥηγισουίλλα· ἱστόρηται δὲ γενέσθαι τοῦτο βασίλειον Μάλεω τοῦ Πελασγοῦ, ὅν φασι δυναστεύσαντα ἐν τοῖς τόποις μετὰ τῶν συνοίκων Πελασγῶν ἀπελθεῖν ἐνθένδε εἰς Ἀθήνας· τούτου δʼ εἰσὶ τοῦ φύλου καὶ οἱ τὴν Ἄγυλλαν κατεσχηκότες. ἀπὸ δὲ Γραουίσκων εἰς Πύργους μικρὸν ἐλάττους τῶν ἑκατὸν ὀγδοήκοντα, ἔστι δʼ ἐπίνειον τῶν Καιρετανῶν ἀπὸ τριάκοντα σταδίων. ἔχει δὲ Εἰληθυίας ἱερόν, Πελασγῶν ἵδρυμα, πλούσιόν ποτε γενόμενον· ἐσύλησε δʼ αὐτὸ Διονύσιος ὁ τῶν Σικελιωτῶν τύραννος κατὰ τὸν πλοῦν τὸν ἐπὶ Κύρνον. ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν Πύργων εἰς Ὤστια διακόσιοι ἑξήκοντα· ἐν δὲ τῷ μεταξὺ τὸ Ἄλσιον καὶ ἡ Φρεγῆνα. περὶ μὲν τῆς παραλίας τῆς Τυρρηνικῆς ταῦτα.
Along the whole coast between Poplonium and Pisa these islands are clearly visible; they are oblong, and all three nearly parallel, running towards the south and Libya. Aethalia is by far smaller than either of the other two. The chorographer says that the shortest passage from Libya to Sardinia is 300 miles. After Poplonium is the city of Cossae, situated at a short distance from the sea: there is at the head of the bay a high hill upon which it is built; below it lies the port of Hercules, and near to it a marsh formed by the sea. At the summit of the cape which commands the gulf is a lookout for thunnies; for the thunny pursues his course along the coast, from the Atlantic Ocean as far as Sicily, in search not only of acorns, but also of the fish which furnishes the purple dye. As one sails along the coast from Cossae to Ostia there are the towns of Gravisci, Pyrgi, Alsium, and Fregena. [From Cossae] to Gravisci is a distance of 300 stadia, and between them is the place named Regis-Villa. This is said to have been the royal residence of Maleos the Pelasgian; they report that after he had reigned here for some time, he departed with his Pelasgians to Athens. These were of the same tribe as those who occupied Agylla. From Gravisci to Pyrgi is a little less than 180 stadia, and the sea-port town of the Caeretani is 30 stadia farther. [Pyrgi] contains a temple of Ilethyia founded by the Pelasgi, and which was formerly rich, but it was plundered by Dionysius the tyrant of the Sicilians, at the time of his voyage to Cyrnus. From Pyrgi to Ostia is 260 stadia; between the two are Alsium and Fregena. Such is our account of the coast of Tyrrhenia.
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