Listed 2 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for wider area of: "LEUCOSIA Island CAMPANIA" .
LEUCOSIA (Island) CAMPANIA
Leucosia (Leukosia), a small island off the coast of Lucania, separated
only by a narrow channel from the headland which forms the southern boundary of
the gulf of Paestum. This headland is called by Lycophron akte Enipeos, the promontory
of Neptune, and his commentators tell us that it was commonly known as Posidium
Promontorium (to Poseideion). (Lycophr. Alex. 722; and Tzetz. ad loc.) But no
such name is found in the geographers, and it seems probable that the promontory
itself, as well as the little island off it, was known by the name of Leucosia.
The former is still called Punta della Licosa; the islet, which is a mere rock,
is known as Isola Piana. It is generally said to have derived its ancient name
from one of the Sirens, who was supposed to have been buried there (Lycophr. l.
c.; Strab. l. c.; Plin. iii. 7. s. 13); but Dionysius (who writes the name Leucasia)
asserts that it was named after a female cousin of Aeneas, and the same account
is adopted by Solinus. (Dionys. i. 53; Solin. 2. § 13.) We learn from Symmachus
(Epp. v. 13, vi. 25) that the opposite promontory was selected by wealthy Romans
as a site for their villas; and the remains of ancient buildings, which have been
discovered on the little island itself, prove that the latter was also resorted
to for similar purposes. (Romanelli, vol. i. p. 345.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited August 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
(Leukosia) or Leucasia. The modern Piana; a small island in the south of the Gulf of Paestum, off the coast of Lucania, said to have been called after one of the Sirens.
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