Book 7
5.8
After the Rhizonic Gulf comes the city of Lissus,Now Alessio. and Acrolissus,A fortress near Lissus. and Epidamnus,Now Durazzo. founded by the Corcyraeans, which is now called Dyrrachium, like the peninsula on which it is situated. Then comes the ApsusNow the Semeni. River; and then the Aoüs,Now the Viosa. on which is situated Apollonia,Now Pollina. an exceedingly well-governed city, founded by the Corinthians and the Corcyraeans, and ten stadia distant from the river and sixty from the sea. The Aoüs is called “Aeas “Cp. 6. 2. 4, and Pliny 3.26. by Hecataeus, who says that both the Inachus and the Aeas flow from the same place, the region of Lacmus,More often spelled Lacmon; one of the heights of Pindus. or rather from the same subterranean recess, the former towards the south into Argos and the latter towards the west and towards the Adrias. In the country of the Apolloniates is a place called Nymphaeum; it is a rock that gives forth fire; and beneath it flow springs of warm water and asphalt—probably because the clods of asphalt in the earth are burned by the fire. And near by, on a hill, is a mine of asphalt; and the part that is trenched is filled up again in the course of time, since, as Poseidonius says, the earth that is poured into the trenches changes to asphalt. He also speaks of the asphaltic vine-earth which is mined at the Pierian SeleuceiaNow Kabousi, at the foot of the Djebel-Arsonz (Mt. Pieria), on the boundary of Cilicia and Syria. as a cure for the infested vine; for, he says, if it is smeared on together with olive oil, it kills the insectsIn private communications to Professor C. R. Crosby of Cornell University, Dr. Paul Marchal and Professor F. Silvestri of Protici identify the insect in question as the Pseudococcus Vitis (also called Dactylopius Vitis, Nedzelsky). This insect, in conjunction with the fungus Bornetina Corium, still infests the vine in the region mentioned by Poseidonius. before they can mount the sprouts of the roots;For a discussion of this passage, see Mangin and Viala, Revue de Viticulture, 1903, Vol. XX, pp. 583-584. and, he adds, earth of this sort was also discovered in Rhodes when he was in office there as Prytanis,President, or chief presiding-officer. but it required more olive oil. After Apollonia comes Bylliaca,The territory (not the city of Byllis) between Apollonia and Oricum. and OricumNow Erico. and its seaport Panormus, and the Ceraunian Mountains, where the mouth of the Ionian GulfSee 6. 1. 7 and the footnote. and the Adrias begins.
