Location information

Zacynthus

  The chief town of the island, also named Zacynthus (Liv. xxvi. 14; Strab. x. p. 458; Ptol. iii. 14. § 13), was situated upon the eastern shore. Its site is occupied by the modern capital, Zante, but nothing remains of the ancient city, except a few columns and inscriptions. The situation of the town upon the margin of a semi-circular bay is very picturesque. The citadel probably occupied the site of the modern castle. The beautiful situation of the city and the fertility of the island have been celebrated in all ages (kala polis ha Zakunthos, Theocr. Id. iv. 32; Strab., Plin., ll. cc.). It no longer deserves the epithet of woody, given to it by Homer and Virgil (nemorosa Zacynthos, Aen. iii. 270); but its beautiful olive-gardens, vineyards, and gardens, justify the Italian proverb, which calls Zante the flower of the Levant.

This extract is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD)
• http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Per...