272 STRABO. CASAUB. 181. outlets of the Aude l and the lake of Narbonne. 2 It is the principal commercial city on this coast. On the Rhone is Arelate, 3 a city and emporium of considerable traffic. The 1 distance between these two cities is nearly equal to that which separates them from the aforesaid promontories, namely, Narbonne from the Aphrodisium, and Arelate from the cape of Marseilles. There are other rivers besides which flow on either side of Narbonne, some from the Cevennes, others from the Pyrenees. Along these rivers are situated cities having but little commerce, and that in small vessels. The rivers which proceed from the Pyrenees, are the Tet 4 and the Tech ; 5 two cities 6 are built on them, which bear respectively the same name as the rivers. There is a lake near to Rusci- no, 7 and a little above the sea a marshy district full of salt- springs, which supplies "dug mullets," for whoever digs two or three feet and plunges a trident into the muddy water, will be sure to take the fish, which are worthy of considera- tion on account of their size ; they are nourished in the mud like eels. Such are the rivers which flow from the Pyrenees between Narbonne and the promontory on which is built the temple of Venus. On the other side of Narbonne the follow- ing rivers descend from the Cevennes into the sea. The Aude, 8 the Orbe, 9 and the Rauraris. 10 On one of these 11 is situated the strong city of Bagtera, 12 near to Narbonne; on the other Agatha, 13 founded by the people of Marseilles. 7. Of one marvel of this sea-coast, namely the " dug mul- lets," we have already spoken ; we will now mention another, even more surprising. Between Marseilles and the outlets of the Rhone there is a circular plain, about 100 stadia distant 2 At the present day Narbonne is not situated on the Aude, the course of that river being changed. The lake of Narbonne, mentioned by Strabo, is not the present lake of Narbonne, but the lake of Rubine. 3 Aries. 4 'PovffKivhtv. 5 o 'IXi&ppic. 6 Viz. Ruscino, now superseded by Perpjguan on the Tet ; and Ili- birris, now Elne on the Tech. T " This ancient city," says Gosselin, " no longer exists, with the ex- ception of an old tower, scarcely a league from Perpignan, which still bears the name of the Tower of Roussillon. 8 This river does not rise in the Cevennes, but in the Pyrenees. 9 *Optf . 10 This name is evidently corrupt ; the Arauris of Mela and Ptolemy (the modern Herault) is probably intended. 11 The Orbe. l2 Beziers. 13 Agde.
