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Pantagias (Pantakias, Thuc.; Pantachos, Ptol.: Porcari), a small river
on the E. coast of Sicily, flowing into the sea between Catania and Syracuse,
a few miles to the N. of the promontory of Sta Croce. It is alluded to both by
Virgil and Ovid, who agree in distinctly placing it to the N. of Megara, between
that city and the mouth of the Symaethus; thus confirming the authority of Ptolemy,
while Pliny inaccurately enumerates it after Megara, as if it lay between that
city and Syracuse. Its name is noticed both by Silius Italicus and Claudian, but
without any clue to its position; but the characteristic expression of Virgil,
vivo ostia saxo Pantagiae, leaves no doubt that the stream meant is the one now
called the Poredri, which flows through a deep ravine between calcareous rocks
at its mouth, affording a small but secure harbour for small vessels. (Virg. Aen.
iii. 689; Ovid, Fast. iv. 471; Sil. Ital. xiv. 231; Claudian, Rapt. Pros. ii.
58; Plin. iii. 8. s. 14; Ptol. iii. 4. § 9; Cluver. Sicil. p. 131.) It is but
a small stream and easily fordable, as described by Silius Italicus, but when
swollen by winter rains becomes a formidable torren<*>, whence Claudian calls
it saxa rotantem: but the story told by Servius and Vibius Sequester of its deriving
its name from the noise caused by its tumultuous waters, is a mere grammatical
fiction. (Serv. ad Aen. l. c.; Vib. Seq. p. 16.)
Thucydides tells us that the Megarian colonists in Sicily, previous
to the foundation of the Hyblaean Megara, established themselves for a short time
at a place called Trotilus, above the river Pantagias, or (as he writes it) Pantacias
(Thuc. vi. 4). The name is otherwise wholly unknown, but the site now occupied
by the village and castle of La Bruca, on a tongue of rock commanding the entrance
of the harbour and river, is probably the locality meant. (Smyth's Sicily, p.
159.)
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
Terias (Terias: Fiume di S. Leonardo), a river of Sicily, on the E. coast of the island, flowing into the sea between Catana and Syracuse. It is mentioned by Pliny (iii. 8. s. 14) immediately after the Syimaethus; and Scylax tells us it was navigable for the distance of 20 stadia up to Leontini. (Scyl. p. 4. § 13.) Though this last statement is not quite accurate, inasmuch as Leontini is at least 60 stadia from the sea, it leaves little doubt that the river meant is that now called the Flume di S. Leonardo, which flows from the Lake of Lentini (which is not mentioned by any ancient author) to the sea. It has its outlet in a small bay or cove, which affords a tolerable shelter for shipping. Hence we find the mouth of the Terias twice selected by the Athenians as a halting-place, while proceeding with their fleet along the E. coast of Sicily. (Thuc. vi. 50, 96.) The connection of the Terias with Leontini is confirmed by Diodorus, who tells us that Dionysius encamped on the banks of that river near the city of Leontini. (Diod. xiv. 14.)
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited September 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
Xiphonius portus (Xiphoneios limen, Scyl. p. 4: Bay of Augusta), a spacious harbour on the E. coast of Sicily, between Catana and Syracuse. It is remarkable that this, though one of the largest and most important natural harbours on the coasts of Sicily, is rarely mentioned by ancient authors. Scylax, indeed, is the only writer who has preserved to us its name as that of a port. Strabo speaks of the Xiphonian Promontory (to tes Hxiphonias akroterio, vi. p. 267), by which he evidently means the projecting headland near its entrance, now called the Capo di Santa Croce. Diodorus also mentions that the Carthaginian fleet, in B.C. 263 touched at Xiphonia on its way to Syracuse (eis ten, Xiphonian, xxiii. 4. p. 502). None of these authors allude to the existence of a town of this name, and it is probably a mistake of Stephanus of Byzantium, who speaks of Xiphonia as a city (s. v.). The harbour or bay of Augusta is a spacious gulf, considerably larger than the Great Harbour of Syracuse, and extending from the Capo di Santa Croce to the low peninsula or promontory of Magnisi (the ancient Thapsus). But it is probable that the port designated by Scylax was a much smaller one, close to the modern city of Augusta, which occupies a low peninsular point or tongue of land that projects from near the N. extremity of the bay, and strongly resembles the position of the island of Ortygia, at Syracuse, except that it is not quite separated from the mainland. It is very singular that so remarkable and advantageous a situation should not have been taken advantage of by the Greek colonists in Sicily; but we have no trace of any ancient town on the spot, unless it were the site of the ancient Megara. The modern town of Augusta, or Agosta, was founded in the 13th century by Frederic II.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited September 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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