τῆς δὲ Τυρρηνίας μῆκος μὲν τὸ μέγιστον εἶναί φασι τὴν παραλίαν ἀπὸ Λούνης μέχρι Ὠστίων δισχιλίων που καὶ πεντακοσίων σταδίων, πλάτος δὲ τοῦ ἡμίσους ἔλαττον τὸ πρὸς τοῖς ὄρεσιν. εἰς μὲν οὖν Πίσας ἀπὸ Λούνης πλείους τῶν τετρακοσίων σταδίων εἰσίν, ἐντεῦθεν δʼ εἰς Ὀυολατέρρας διακόσιοι ὀγδοήκοντα, πάλιν δʼ ἐνθένδε εἰς Ποπλώνιον διακόσιοι ἑβδομήκοντα, ἐκ δὲ Ποπλωνίου εἰς Κόσαν ἐγγὺς ὀκτακόσιοι, οἱ δὲ ἑξακόσιοι φασί […] Πολύβιος δʼ οὐκ εὖ καὶ τοὺς πάντας χιλίους τριακοσίους τριάκοντα λέγει. τούτων δʼ ἡ μὲν Λοῦνα πόλις ἐστὶ καὶ λιμήν, καλοῦσι δʼ οἱ Ἕλληνες Σελήνης λιμένα καὶ πόλιν. ἡ μὲν οὖν πόλις οὐ μεγάλη, ὁ δὲ λιμὴν μέγιστός τε καὶ κάλλιστος, ἐν αὑτῷ περιέχων πλείους λιμένας ἀγχιβαθεῖς πάντας, οἷον ἂν γένοιτο ὁρμητήριον θαλαττοκρατησάντων ἀνθρώπων τοσαύτης μὲν θαλάττης τοσοῦτον δὲ χρόνον. περικλείεται δʼ ὁ λιμὴν ὄρεσιν ὑψηλοῖς, ἀφʼ ὧν τὰ πελάγη κατοπτεύεται καὶ ἡ Σαρδὼ καὶ τῆς ᾐόνος ἑκατέρωθεν πολὺ μέρος. μέταλλα δὲ λίθου λευκοῦ τε καὶ ποικίλου γλαυκίζοντος τοσαῦτά τʼ ἐστὶ καὶ τηλικαῦτα, μονολίθους ἐκδιδόντα πλάκας καὶ στύλους, ὥστε τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν ἐκπρεπῶν ἔργων τῶν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις πόλεσιν ἐντεῦθεν ἔχειν τὴν χορηγίαν· καὶ γὰρ εὐεξάγωγός ἐστιν ἡ λίθος, τῶν μετάλλων ὑπερκειμένων τῆς θαλάττης πλησίον, ἐκ δὲ τῆς θαλάττης διαδεχομένου τοῦ Τιβέριος τὴν κομιδήν· καὶ τὴν ξυλείαν τὴν εἰς τὰς οἰκοδομὰς σελμάτων εὐθυτάτων καὶ εὐμηκεστάτων ἡ Τυρρηνία χορηγεῖ τὴν πλείστην, τῷ ποταμῷ κατάγουσα ἐκ τῶν ὀρῶν εὐθύς. μεταξὺ δὲ Λούνης καὶ Πίσης ὁ Μάκρας ἐστὶ * χωρίον, ᾧ πέρατι τῆς Τυρρηνίας καὶ τῆς Λιγυστικῆς κέχρηνται τῶν συγγραφέων πολλοί. ἡ δὲ Πῖσα κτίσμα μέν ἐστι τῶν ἐν Πελοποννήσῳ Πισατῶν, οἳ μετὰ Νέστορος ἐπὶ Ἴλιον στρατεύσαντες κατὰ τὸν ἀνάπλουν ἐπλανήθησαν, οἱ μὲν εἰς τὸ Μεταπόντιον οἱ δʼ εἰς τὴν Πισᾶτιν, ἅπαντες Πύλιοι καλούμενοι. δυεῖν δὲ ποταμῶν κεῖται μεταξὺ κατʼ αὐτὴν τὴν συμβολήν, Ἄρνου τε καὶ Αὔσαρος, ὧν ὁ μὲν ἐξ Ἀρρητίου φέρεται πολύς, οὐχὶ πᾶς, ἀλλὰ τριχῆ σχισθείς, ὁ δʼ ἐκ τῶν Ἀπεννίνων ὀρῶν· συμπεσόντες δʼ εἰς ἓν ῥεῖθρον μετεωρίζουσιν ἀλλήλους ταῖς ἀντικοπαῖς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὥστε τοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν ᾐόνων ἑστῶτας ἀμφοτέρων μηδέτερον ὑπὸ θατέρου καθορᾶσθαι, ὥστʼ ἀνάγκη δυσανάπλωτα ἐκ θαλάττης εἶναι· στάδιοι δʼ εἰσὶ τοῦ ἀνάπλου περὶ εἴκοσι. μυθεύουσι δʼ, ὅτε πρῶτον ἐκ τῶν ὀρῶν οἱ ποταμοὶ κατεφέροντο οὗτοι, κωλυομένους ὑπὸ τῶν ἐπιχωρίων μὴ συμπεσόντες εἰς ἓν κατακλύζοιεν τὴν χώραν, ὑποσχέσθαι μὴ κατακλύσειν, καὶ φυλάξαι τὴν πίστιν. δοκεῖ δʼ ἡ πόλις εὐτυχῆσαί ποτε, καὶ νῦν οὐκ ἀδοξεῖ διά τε εὐκαρπίαν καὶ τὰ λιθουργεῖα καὶ τὴν ὕλην τὴν ναυπηγήσιμον, ᾗ τὸ μὲν παλαιὸν ἐχρῶντο πρὸς τοὺς κατὰ θάλατταν κινδύνους· καὶ γὰρ μαχιμώτεροι Τυρρηνῶν ὑπῆρξαν, καὶ παρώξυναν αὐτοὺς οἱ Λίγυες πονηροὶ γείτονες παρὰ πλευρὰν ὄντες· νῦν δὲ τὸ πλέον εἰς τὰς οἰκοδομὰς ἀναλίσκεται τὰς ἐν Ῥώμῃ κἀν ταῖς ἐπαύλεσι βασίλεια κατασκευαζομένων Περσικά.
They say that the greatest length of Tyrrhenia, which is along the coast from Luna to Ostia, is about 2500 stadia; and that its breadth in the direction of the mountains is less than half that number. Then from Luna to Pisa there are more than 400 stadia; from thence to Volaterrae 280; thence to Poplonium 270; and from Poplonium to Cossa near 800, or as some say, 600. Polybius, however, says that there are not in all 1330. Of these Luna is a city and harbour; it is named by the Greeks, the harbour and city of Selene. The city is not large, but the harbour is very fine and spacious, containing in itself numerous harbours, all of them deep near the shore; it is in fact an arsenal worthy of a nation holding dominion for so long a time over so vast a sea. The harbour is surrounded by lofty mountains, from whence you may view the sea and Sardinia, and a great part of the coast on either side. Here are quarries of marble, both white and marked with green, so numerous and large, as to furnish tablets and columns of one block; and most of the material for the fine works, both in Rome and the other cities, is furnished from hence. The transport of the marble is easy, as the quarries lie near to the sea, and from the sea they are conveyed by the Tiber. Tyrrhenia likewise supplies most of the straightest and longest planks for building, as they are brought direct from the mountains to the river. Between Luna and Pisa flows the Macra, a division which many writers consider the true boundary of Tyrrhenia and Liguria. Pisa was founded by the Pisatae of the Peloponnesus, who went under Nestor to the expedition against Troy, but in their voyage home wandered out of their course, some to Metapontium, others to the Pisatis; they were, however, all called Pylians. The city lies between the two rivers Arno and Aesar, at their point of confluence; the former of which, though very full, descends from Arretium not in one body, but divided into three; the second flows down from the Apennines. Where they fall into one current, the shock between them is so great as to raise the water to that height, that people standing on either bank are not able to see each other; so that necessarily the voyage up from the sea is difficult. This voyage is about 20 stadia. There is a tradition, that when these rivers first descended from the mountains they were impeded by the inhabitants of the district, lest falling together they should inundate the country; however, they promised not to inundate it, and they have kept their word. This city appears to have been formerly flourishing, and at the present day it still maintains its name, on account of its fertility, its marble-quarries, and its wood for building ships, which formerly they employed to preserve themselves from danger by sea; for they were more warlike than the Tyrrheni, and were constantly irritated by the Ligurians, troublesome neighbours, who dwelt on the coast. At the present day the wood is mostly employed for building houses in Rome, and in the country villas [of the Romans], which resemble in their gorgeousness Persian palaces.
τῶν δὲ Ὀυολατερρανῶν ἡ μὲν χώρα κλύζεται τῇ θαλάττῃ, τὸ δὲ κτίσμα ἐν φάραγγι βαθείᾳ λόφος ἐστὶν ὑψηλὸς περίκρημνος πάντη τὴν κορυφὴν ἐπίπεδος, ἐφʼ ᾗ ἵδρυται τὸ τεῖχος τῆς πόλεως. ἡ δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτὴν ἀνάβασις πεντεκαίδεκα σταδίων ἐστὶν ἀπὸ τῆς βάσεως, ὀξεῖα πᾶσα καὶ χαλεπή. ἐνταῦθα συνέστησαν τινὲς τῶν Τυρρηνῶν καὶ τῶν προγεγραμμένων ὑπὸ Σύλλα· πληρώσαντες δὲ τέτταρα τάγματα στρατιᾶς διετῆ χρόνον ἐπολιορκήθησαν, εἶθʼ ὑπόσπονδοι παρεχώρησαν τοῦ τόπου. τὸ δὲ Ποπλώνιον ἐπʼ ἄκρας ὑψηλῆς ἵδρυται κατερρωγυίας εἰς τὴν θάλατταν καὶ χερρονησιζούσης, πολιορκίαν καὶ αὐτὸ δεδεγμένον περὶ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιρούς. τὸ μὲν οὖν πολίχνιον πᾶν ἔρημόν ἐστι πλὴν τῶν ἱερῶν καὶ κατοικιῶν ὀλίγων, τὸ δʼ ἐπίνειον οἰκεῖται βέλτιον, πρὸς τῇ ῥίζῃ τοῦ ὄρους λιμένιον ἔχον καὶ νεωσοίκους δύο· καὶ δοκεῖ μοι μόνη τῶν Τυρρηνίδων τῶν παλαιῶν αὕτη πόλεων ἐπʼ αὐτῇ τῇ θαλάττῃ ἱδρῦσθαι· αἴτιον δʼ ἐστὶ τὸ τῆς χώρας ἀλίμενον· διόπερ παντάπασιν ἔφευγον οἱ κτίσται τὴν θάλατταν ἢ προεβάλλοντο ἐρύματα πρὸ αὐτῆς, ὥστε μὴ λάφυρον ἕτοιμον ἐκκεῖσθαι τοῖς ἐπιπλεύσασιν. ἔστι δὲ καὶ θυννοσκοπεῖον ὑπὸ τῇ ἄκρᾳ. κατοπτεύεται δʼ ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως πόρρωθεν μὲν καὶ μόλις ἡ Σαρδώ, ἐγγυτέρω δʼ ἡ Κύρνος ἑξήκοντά πως διέχουσα τῆς Σαρδόνος σταδίους, πολὺ δὲ μᾶλλον τούτων ἡ Αἰθαλία, προσεχεστέρα τῇ ἠπείρῳ ἐστὶν ὅσον τριακοσίους διέχουσα σταδίους, ὅσους καὶ τῆς Κύρνου διέχει. ἄριστον δʼ ἀφετήριον τοῦτο τὸ χωρίον ἐστὶν ἐπὶ τὰς τρεῖς τὰς λεχθείσας νήσους. εἴδομεν δὲ καὶ ταύτας ἡμεῖς ἀναβάντες ἐπὶ τὸ Ποπλώνιον καὶ μέταλλά τινα ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ ἐκλελειμμένα. εἴδομεν δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἐργαζομένους τὸν σίδηρον τὸν ἐκ τῆς Αἰθαλίας κομιζόμενον· οὐ γὰρ δύναται συλλιπαίνεσθαι καμινευόμενος ἐν τῇ νήσῳ, κομίζεται δʼ εὐθὺς ἐκ τῶν μετάλλων εἰς τὴν ἤπειρον. τοῦτό τε δὴ παράδοξον ἡ νῆσος ἔχει καὶ τὸ τὰ ὀρύγματα ἀναπληροῦσθαι πάλιν τῷ χρόνῳ τὰ μεταλλευθέντα, καθάπερ τοὺς πλαταμῶνάς φασι τοὺς ἐν Ῥόδῳ καὶ τὴν ἐν Πάρῳ πέτραν τὴν μάρμαρον καὶ τὰς ἐν Ἰνδοῖς ἅλας, ἅς φησι Κλείταρχος. οὔτʼ οὖν Ἐρατοσθένης ὀρθῶς ὁ φήσας μὴ καθορᾶσθαι μήτε τὴν Κύρνον ἐκ τῆς ἠπείρου μήτε τὴν Σαρδόνα, οὔτʼ Ἀρτεμίδωρος ὁ φήσας ἐν χιλίοις εἶναι καὶ διακοσίοις σταδίοις πελαγίας ἀμφοτέρας. καὶ γὰρ εἴ τισιν, ἡμῖν γε οὐκ ἂν ὑπῆρξαν ὁραταὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἐφʼ ὅσον σαφεῖς ἑωρῶντο, καὶ μάλιστα ἡ Κύρνος. ἔστι δὲ κατὰ τὴν Αἰθαλίαν λιμὴν Ἀργῷος ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀργοῦς, ὥς φασιν. ἐκεῖσε γὰρ πλεῦσαι τὴν τῆς Κίρκης οἴκησιν ζητοῦντα τὸν Ἰάσονα, τῆς Μηδείας ἐθελούσης ἰδεῖν τὴν θεάν· καὶ δὴ καὶ τῶν ἀποστλεγγισμάτων παγέντων, ἃ ἐποίουν οἱ Ἀργοναῦται, διαμένειν ἔτι καὶ νῦν διαποικίλους τὰς ἐπὶ τῆς ᾐόνος ψήφους. αἱ δὲ τοιαῦται μυθοποιίαι τεκμήρια τῶν λεγομένων ὑφʼ ἡμῶν εἰσίν, ὅτι οὐ πάντα Ὅμηρος αὐτὸς ἔπλαττεν, ἀλλʼ ἀκούων θρυλουμένων τῶν τοιούτων πολλῶν αὐτὸς προσετίθει μήκη διαστημάτων καὶ ἐκτοπισμῶν· καὶ καθάπερ τὸν Ὀδυσσέα εἰς τὸν ὠκεανὸν ἐξέβαλε, παραπλησίως καὶ τὸν Ἰάσονα, γενομένης καὶ τούτῳ πλάνης τινὸς κἀκείνῳ, καθάπερ καὶ Μενελάῳ. περὶ μὲν οὖν τῆς Αἰθαλίας τοσαῦτα.
The country of the Volaterrani is washed by the sea. Their city is situated in a deep hollow on the top of a high hill. The wall of the city is built round its summit, which is flat and precipitous on every side. From its base, the ascent upward is fifteen stadia, steep and difficult. Here certain of the Tyrrhenians and of those proscribed by Sulla, took their stand, and having organized four bands, sustained a siege for two years, and at last secured articles of truce before surrendering the place. Poplonium is situated on a lofty promontory, which projects into the sea, and forms a chersonesus. It likewise sustained a siege about the same time. This little place is now deserted, with the exception of the temples and a few houses; the sea-port, which is situated at the root of the mountain, is better inhabited, having both a small harbour and ship-sheds. This appears to me the only one of the ancient Tyrrhenian cities situated on the sea; the reason being that this territory affords no harbours. The founders [of the cities] therefore either avoided the sea altogether, or threw up fortifications in order that they might not become the ready prey of those who might sail against them. On the summit [of the cape] there is a look-out for thunnies. From this city there is an indistinct and distant view of Sardinia. Cyrnus, however, is nearer, being distant from Sardinia about 60 stadia. While Aethalia is much nearer to the continent than either, being distant therefrom only 300 stadia, and the same number from Cyrnus. Poplonium is the best starting-place to any of the three mentioned islands. We ourselves observed them from the height of Poplonium, in which place we saw certain mines which had been abandoned, we also saw the craftsmen who work the iron brought from Aethalia; for they cannot reduce it into bars in the furnaces on the island, and it is therefore transferred direct from the mines to the continent. There is another remarkable circumstance, that the exhausted mines of the island in course of time are again refilled similarly to what they say takes place at the platamones in Rhodes, the marble-quarries in Paros, and the salt-mines in India, mentioned by Clitarchus. Eratosthenes was therefore incorrect in saying that from the mainland you could neither see Cyrnus nor Sardinia; and so was Artemidorus in his assertion, that both these places lay in the high sea at a distance of 1200 stadia. For whatever others might, I certainly could never have seen them at such a distance, however carefully I had looked, particularly Cyrnus. Aethalia has a harbour named Argoiis, derived, as they say, from the [ship] Argo, Jason having sailed hither, seeking the abode of Circe as Medea wished to see that goddess; and that from the sweat scraped off by the Argonauts and hardened, are formed the variegated pebbles now seen on the beach. This and similar traditions prove what we before stated, that Homer did not invent them all himself, but, hearing the numerous current stories, he merely transferred the scenes to other localities and exaggerated the distances: as he makes Ulysses wander over the ocean, so does he narrate of Jason, as he too had been renowned for his travels: and the same he likewise relates of Menelaus. This is what we have to say of Aethalia.
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