Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/200

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166 PLiinr's katueal histoet. [Book IIL Next is the district of Edetania, with the delightful expanse of a lake^ before it, and extending backward to Celtiberia. Yalentia^, a colony, is situate three miles from the sea, after which comes the river Turium^, and Saguntum^ at the same distance, a town of Eoman citizens famous for its fidelity, the river Uduba'^ and the district of the Ilergaones^ The Iberus^, a river enriched by its commerce, takes its rise in the country of the Cantabri, not far from the town of Julio- briga^, and flows a distance of 450 miles ; 260 of which, from the to^Ti of Varia^ namely, it is available for the purposes of navigation. Prom this river the name of Iberia has been given by the Greeks to the whole of Spain. Next comes the district of Cossetania, the river Subi^°, and the colony of Tarraco, which was built by the Scipios as Carthage" was by the Carthaginians. Then the district of the Ilergetes, the town of Subur^'-, and the river Eubricatum^^, beyond which begin the Laletani and the Indigetes^"^. Be- hind these, in the order in w^hich they will be mentioned, ^ Now called Albufera. 2 "jhe present city of Yalencia. ^ Or Turia, now the Guadalaviar. ^ Or Saguntus, famed for the fidelity of its inhabitants to the Roman cause : after a siege of nine months, rather than submit to the Carthaginians under Hannibal, they set fire to their town and perished ui the flames, B.C. 219. It was rebuilt eight years afterwards and made a Roman colony. The ruins of the ancient town, which was said to have been originally founded by Greeks from Zacynthus, are still to be seen, and the ancient walls (^muri veteres) give name to the present Murviedi'o, which is bmlt on its site. ^ Now the Murviedro, which flows past the city of that name and the town of Segorbe. ^ Dertosa, the present Tortosa, is supposed to have been inhabited by them. 7 Now the Ebro.

  • Hardouin places this on the site of the modern Fuente de Ivero.

The Ebro takes its rise in the Val de Yieso. 8 According to D' Anville, the present Logrono. At present the Ebro only becomes navigable at Tudela, 216 miles from the sea. Other writers, however, take Varia to be the present Yaltierra, near Tudela. ^^ Or the Subur, now the Francoli. It flows into the sea at the port of Tarraco, now Tarragona. ^^ The more ancient commentators think that Carthago Yetus, or the colony of Old Carthage (now Carta la Yieja), is here alluded to, but more probably it is Carthago Nova that is meant. ^ On the Subi, previously mentioned ; now called YiUa Nova. ^3 Now the Llobregat. H Their territory was situate around the present Gulf of Ampurias,