retreat of the Ten Thousand Greeks. It appears to have been situated a little to the north of the junction of the Lycus (Zab) and the Tigris. Xenophon describes it as a deserted city, formerly built by the Medes, with a wall 25 feet broad, and 100 high, and extending in circumference two parasangs. The wall itself was constructed of bricks, but had a foundation of stone, 20 feet in height (probably a casing in stone over the lower portion of the bricks). He adds, that when the Persians conquered the Medes, they were not at first able to take this city, but at last captured it, during a dense fog. Adjoining the town was a pyramid of stone, one plethron broad, and two plethra in height. It has been conjectured that this was the site of the city of Resen, mentioned in Genesis (x. 12); and there can be little doubt, that these ruins represent those of Nimrúd, now so well known by the excavations which Mr. Layard has conducted.

[V.]

LARISSA (Aápiooa), a city of Syria, placed by Ptolemy in the district of Cassiotis, in which Antioch was situated (v. 15. § 16), but probably identical with the place of the same name which, according to Strabo, was reckoned to Apamia (xvi. p. 572), and which is placed in the Itinerary of Antoninus 16 M. P. from Apamia, on the road to Emesa. D'Anville identifies it with the modern Kalaat Shyzar, on the left bank of the Orontes, between Hamah and Kalaat el-Medyk or Apamia. [G. W.]

LARISSUS or LARISUS, a river of Achaia. [Vol. I. p. 14, a.]

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of olives, and afforded space for numerous villas. Among these the most celebrated are those of the younger Pliny, who was himself a native of Comum, and whose paternal estate was situated on the banks of the lake, of which last he always speaks with affection as "Larius noster." (Ep. ii. 8, vi. 24, vii. 11.) But, besides this, he had two villas of a more ornamental character, of which he gives some account in his letters (Ep. ix. 7): the one situated on a lofty promontory projecting out into the waters of the lake, over which it commanded a very extensive prospect, the other close to the water's edge. The description of the former would suit well with the site of the modern Villa Serbelloni near Bellaggio; but there are not sufficient grounds upon which to identify it. The name of Villa Pliniana is given at the present day to a villa about a mile beyond the village of Torno (on the right side of the lake going from Como), where there is a remarkable intermitting spring, which is also described by Pliny (Ep. iv. 30); but there is no reason to suppose that this was the site of either of his villas. Claudian briefly characterises the scenery of the Larius Lacus in a few lines (B. Get. 319-322); and Cassiodorus gives an elaborate, but very accurate, description of its beauties. The immediate banks of the lake were adorned with villas or palaces (praetoria), above which spread, as it were, a girdle of olive woods; over these again were vineyards, climbing up the sides of the mountains, the bare and rocky summits of which rose above the thick chesnut-woods that encircled them. Streams of water fell into the lake on all sides, in cascades of snowy whiteness. (Cassiod. Var. xi. 14.) It would be difficult to describe more correctly the present aspect of the Lake of Como, the beautiful scenery of which is the theme of admiration of all modern travellers.

Cassiodorus repeats the tale told by the elder Pliny, that the course of the Addua could be traced throughout the length of the lake, with which it did not mix its waters. (Plin. ii. 105. s. 106; Cassiod. l. c.) The same fable is told of the Lacus Lemannus, or Lake of Geneva, and of many other lakes formed in a similar manner by the stagnation of a large river, which enters them at one end and flows out at the other. It is remarkable that we have no trace of an ancient town as existing on the site of the modern Lecco, where the Addua issues from the lake. We learn, from the Itinerary of Antoninus (p. 278), that the usual course in proceeding from Curia over the Rhaetian Alps to Mediolanum, was to take boat at the head of the lake and proceed by water to Comum. This was the route by which Stilicho is represented by Claudian as proceeding across the Alps (B. Get. l. c.); and Cassiodorus speaks of Comum as a place of great traffic of travellers (l. c.)

LA'RIUS LACUS († Aápios Aluvn: Lago di Como), one of the largest of the great lakes of Northern Italy, situated at the foot of the Alps, and formed by the river Addua. (Strab. iv. p. 192; Plin. iii. 19. s. 23.) It is of a peculiar form, long and narrow, but divided in its southern portion into two great arms or branches, forming a kind of fork. The SW. of these, at the extremity of which is situated the city of Como, has no natural outlet; the Addua, which carries off the superfluous waters of the lake, flowing from its SE. extremity, where stands the modern town of Lecco. Virgil, where he is speaking of the great lakes of Northern Italy, gives to the Larius the epithet of "maximus" (Georg. ii. 159); and Servius, in his note on the passage, tells us that, according to Cato, it was 60 miles long. This estimate, though greatly overrated, seems to have acquired a sort of traditionary authority: it is repeated by Cassiodorus (Var. Ep. xi. 14), and even in the Itinerary of Antoninus (p. 278), and is at the present day still a prevalent notion among the boatmen on the lake. The real distance from Como to the head of the lake does not exceed 27 Italian, or 34 Roman miles, to which five or six more may be added for the distance by water to Riva, the Lago di Riva being often regarded as only a portion of the larger lake. Strabo, therefore, is not far from the truth in estimating the Larius as 300 stadia (37) Roman The name of Lacus Larius seems to have been miles) in length, and 30 in breadth. (Strab. iv. early superseded in common usage by that of LACUS p. 209.) But it is only in a few places that it at- COMACINUS, which is already found in the Itinerary, tains this width; and, owing to its inferior breadth, as well as in Paulus Diaconus, although the latter it is really much smaller than the Benacus (Lago author uses also the more classical appellation. di Garda) or Verbanus (Lago Maggiore). Its (Itin. Ant. I. c.; P. Diac. Hist. v. 38, 39.) [E.H.B.] waters are of great depth, and surrounded on all sides by high mountains, rising in many places very abruptly from the shore: notwithstanding which their lower slopes were clothed in ancient times, as they still are at the present day, with rich groves

In the latter ages of the Roman empire, a fleet was maintained upon the lake, the head-quarters of which were at Comum. (Not. Dign. ii. p. 118.)

LARIX or LARICE, a place on the southern frontier of Noricum, at the foot of the Julian Alps, and on the road from Aquileia to Lauriacum. The town seems to have owed its name to the forests of larch trees which abound in that district, and its site

must be looked for between Idria and Krainburg, in
Illyricum. (It. Ant. p. 276; comp. Muchar, Nori-
cum, p. 247.)
[L. S.]

LARNUM (Tordera), a small coast river in the
territory of the LAEETANI, in Hispania Tarra-
conensis, falling into the sea between Iluro and
Blanda. (Plin. iii. 3. s. 4.)
that there was a town of the same name on the
It has been inferred
river, from Pliny's mention of the LARNENSES in
the conventus of Caesaraugusta: but it is plain
that the Laeëtani belonged to the conventus of
Tarraco. (Ukert, vol. ii. pt. 1. p. 456, assigns these
Larnenses to the Arevacae.)
[P.S.]

LARTOLAEAETAE. [LAEETANI.]

LARYMNA (Aápvuva), the name of two towns in Boeotia, on the river Cephissus, distinguished as Upper and Lower Larymna. (Strab. ix. pp. 405, 406.) Strabo relates that the Cephissus emerged from its subterranean channel at the Upper Larymna, and joined the sea at the Lower Larymna; and that Upper Larymna had belonged to Phocis until it was annexed to the Lower or Boeotian Larymna by the Romans. Upper Larymna belonged originally to the Opuntian Locris, and Lycophron mentions it as one of the towns of Ajax Oïleus. (Lycophr. 1146.) Pausanias also states, that it was originally Locrian; and he adds, that it voluntarily joined the Boeotians on the increase of the power of the Thebans. (Paus. ix. 23. §7.) This, however, probably did not take place in the time of Epaminondas, as Scylax, who lived subsequently, still calls it a Locrian town (p. 23). Ulrichs conjectures that it joined the Boeotian league after Thebes had been rebuilt by Cassander. In B. C. 230, Larymna is described as a Boeotian town (Polyb. xx. 5, where Aápuuvav should be read instead of Aaspívav); and in the time of Sulla it is again spoken of as a Boeotian town.

described.

090

[

60

PLAN OF LARYMNA.

4

1. A small port, anciently closed in the manner here
2. The town wall, traceable all around.

3. Another wall along the sea, likewise traceable.
4. A mole, in the sea.

5. Various ancient foundations in the tower and acro-
polis.
6. A Sorus.

7. Glyfoneró, or Salt Source.

8. An oblong foundation of an ancient building.

Leake adds, that the walls, which in one place We may conclude from the preceding statements soft stone, very much corroded by the sea air, and are extant to nearly half their height, are of a red that the more ancient town was the Locrian La- in some places are constructed of rough masses. rymna, situated at a spot, called Anchoe by Strabo, The sorus is high, with comparison to its length where the Cephissus emerged from its subterranean and breadth, and stands in its original place upon channel. At the distance of a mile and a half the rocks: there was an inscription upon it, and Larymna had a port upon the coast, which gradually rose into importance, especially from the time defaced. some ornaments of sculpture, which are now quite when Larymna joined the Boeotian League, as its water, impregnated with salt, and is considered by The Glyfoneró is a small deep pool of port then became the most convenient communication the peasants as sacred water, because it is cathartic. with the eastern sea for Lebadeia, Chaeroneia, Or- The sea in the bay south of the ruins is very deep; chomenos, Copae, and other Boeotian towns. port-town was called, from its position, Lower (ix. 23. § 7), Xiuǹy dé oplo:v kotly àyxıbaths, The and hence we ought probably to read in Pausanias Larymna, to distinguish it from the Upper city. instead of Aiurn, since there is no land-lake at this The former may also have been called more espe- place. The ruins of Upper Larymna lie at Bazaráki, cially the Boeotian Larymna, as it became the seaport of so many Boeotian towns. Upper Larymna, where it issues from its subterranean channel. on the right bank of the Cephissus, at the place though it had joined the Boeotian League, continued (Leake, Northern Greece, vol. ii. p. 287, seq.; to be frequently called the Locrian, on account of its Ulrichs, Reisen in Griechenland, p. 229, seq.) ancient connection with Locris. When the Romans united Upper Larymna to Lower Larymna, the inLARY'SIUM. [GYTHIUM.] habitants of the fomer place were probably trans-Steph. B. s. v.: Eth. Aãos), one of the most ancient ferred to the latter; and Upper Larymna was henceforth abandoned. This accounts for Pausanias mentioning only one Larymna, which must have been the Lower city; for if he had visited Upper Larymna, he could hardly have failed to mention the emissary of the Cephissus at this spot. Moreover, the ruins at Lower Larymna show that it became a place of much more importance than Upper Larymna. These ruins, which are called Kastri, like those of Delphi, are situated on the shore of the Bay of Larmes, on a level covered with bushes, ten minutes to the left of the mouth of the Cephissus.

VOL. II.

LAS (Adas, Hom.; Aas, Scyl., Paus., Strab.; Aâ,

of the Laconian gulf. It is the only town on the towns of Laconia, situated upon the western coast coast mentioned by Scylax (p. 17) between Taenarus and Gythium. Scylax speaks of its port; but, according to Pausanias, the town itself was distant 10 stadia from the sea, and 40 stadia from Gythium. (Paus. iii. 24. § 6.) In the time of Pausanias the town lay in a hollow between the three mountains, Asia, Ilium, and Cnacadium; but the old town stood on the summit of Mt. Asia. originally stood. It is mentioned by Homer (17. ii. The name of Las signified the rock on which it

K

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of the localities. Thus the laborious, but often most inaccurate, compiler Forbiger, while taking on himself to correct Strabo's exact account, tells us that "the river and lake (Strabo's harbour) have now entirely vanished;" and yet, a few lines down, he refers to a passage of Beechey's work within a very few pages of the place where the river itself is actually de. scribed! (Forbiger, Handbuch der alten Geographie, vol. ii. p. 828, note.)

The researches made in Beechey's expedition give the following results :-East of the headland on which stands the ruins of Hesperides or Berenice (now Bengazi) is a small lake, which communicates with the harbour of the city, and has its water of course salt. The water of the lake varies greatly in quantity, according to the season of the year; and is nearly dried up in summer. There are strong grounds to believe that its waters were more abundant, and its communication with the harbour more perfect, in ancient times than at present. On the margin of the lake is a spot of rising ground, nearly insulated in winter, on which are the remains of ancient buildings. East of this lake again, and only a few yards from its margin, there gushes forth an abundant spring of fresh water, which empties itfelf into the lake, "runring along a channel of inconsiderable breadth, bordered with reeds and rushes," and "might be mistaken by a common observer for an inroad of the lake into the sandy soil which bounds it." Moreover, this is the only stream which empties itself into the lake; and indeed the only one found on that part of the coast of Cyrenaica. Now, even without searching further, it is evident how well all this answers to the description of Strabo (xvii. p. 836):-"There is a promontory called Pseudopenias, on which Berenice is situated, beside a certain Lake of Tritonis (apà Aíμvny Tivà TPIтwviáda), in which there is generally (uáλtora) a little island, and a temple of Aphrodite upon it: but there is (or it is) also the Harbour of Hesperides, and the river Lathon falls into it." It is now evident how much the sense of the description would be impaired by reading Xíμvn for Aíunv in the last clause; and it matters but little whether Strabo speaks of the river as falling into the harbour because it fell into the lake which communicated with the harbour, or whether he means that the lake, which he calls that of Tritonis, was actually the harbour (that is, an inner harbour) of the city. But the little stream which falls into the lake is not the only representative of the river Lathon. Further to the east, in one of the subterranean caves which abound in the neighbourhood of Bengazi, Beechy found a large body of fresh water, losing itself in the bowels of the earth; and the Bey of Bengazi affirmed that he had tracked its subterraneous course till he doubted the safety of proceeding further, and that he had found it as much as 30 feet deep. That the stream thus lost in the earth is the same which reappears in the spring on the margin of the lake, is extremely probable; but whether it be so in fact, or not, we can hardly doubt that the ancient Greeks would imagine the connection to exist. (Beechey, Proceedings, fc. pp. 326, foll.; Barth, Wanderungen, &c. p. 387. [P.S.]

LATHRIPPA (Aа@pinna), an inland town of Arabia Felix, mentioned by Ptolemy (vi. 7. § 31), which there is no difficulty in identifying with the ancient name of the renowned El-Medineh," the city," as it is called by emphasis among the disciples of the false prophet. Its ancient name, Yathrib, still exists in the native geographies and local tra

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It is

ditions, which, with the definite article el prefixed,
is as accurately represented by Lithrippa as the
Greek alphabet would admit. "Medineh is situated
on the edge of the great Arabian desert, close to the
chain of mountains which traverses that country
from north to south, and is a continuation of Libanon.
The great plain of Arabia in which it lies is con-
siderably elevated above the level of the sea.
ten or eleven days distant from Mekka, and has been
always considered the principal fortress of the
Hedjaz, being surrounded with a stone wall. It is
one of the best-built towns in the East, ranking in
this respect next to Aleppo, though ruined houses
and walls in all parts of the town indicate how far
it has fallen from its ancient splendour. It is sur-
rounded on three sides with gardens and plantations,
which, on the east and south, extend to the distance
of six or eight miles. Its population amounts to
16,000 or 20,000-10,000 or 12,000 in the town,
the remainder in the suburbs." (Burckhardt, Arabia,
321-400; Ritter, Erdkunde, vol. i. p. 15, ii.
pp. 149, &c.)
[G. W.]

LATIUM (Aarlvn: Eth. and Adj. Latinus), was the name given by the Romans to a district or region of Central Italy, situated on the Tyrrhenian sea, between Etruria and Campania.

I. NAME.

There can be little doubt that Latium meant originally the land of the LATINI, and that in this, as in almost all other cases in ancient history, the name of the people preceded, instead of being derived from, that of the country. But the ancient Roman writers, with their usual infelicity in all matters of etymology, derived the name of the Latini from a king of the name of Latinus, while they sought for another origin for the name of Latium. The common etymology (to which they were obviously led by the quantity of the first syllable) was that which derived it from "lateo;" and the usual explanation was, that it was so called because Saturn had there lain hid from the pursuit of Jupiter. (Virg. Aen. viii. 322; Ovid, Fast. i. 238.) The more learned derivations proposed by Saufeius and Varro, from the inhabitants having lived hidden in caves (Saufeius, ap. Serv. ad Aen. i. 6), or because Latium itself was as it were hidden by the Apennines (Varr. ap. Serv. ad Aen. viii. 322), are certainly not more satisfactory. The form of the name of Latium would at first lead to the supposition that the ethnic Latini was derived from it; but the same remark applies to the case of Samnium and the Samnites, where we know that the people, being a race of foreign settlers, must have given their name to the country, and not the converse. Probably Latini is only a lengthened form of the name, which was originally Latii or Latvi; for the connection which has been generally recognised between Latini and Lavinium, Latinus and Lavinus, seems to point to the existence of an old form, Latvinus. (Donaldson, Varronianus, p. 6; Niebuhr, V. u. L. Kunde, p. 352.) Varro himself seems to regard the name of Latium as derived from that of Latinus (LL. v. § 32); and that it was generally regarded as equivalent to the land of the Latins" is sufficiently proved by the fact that the Greeks always rendered it by n Λατίνη, or ἡ Λατίνων γῆ. The name of Λάτιον 19 found only in Greek writers of a late period, who borrowed it directly from the Romans. (Appian, B. C. ii. 26; Herodian, i. 16.) From the same cause it must have proceeded that when the Latini ceased to