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BOOK V.
AN ACCOUNT OF COUNTRIES, NATIONS, SEAS TOWNS
HAVENS, MOUNTAINS, EIVERS, DISTANCES, AND PEOPLES
WHO NOW EXIST OR FORMERLY EXISTED.
CHAP. 1. — THE TWO MAURITANIAS.
The Greeks have given the name of Libya[1] to Africa, and have called the sea that lies in front of it the Libyan Sea It has Egypt for its boundary, and no part of the earth is there that has fewer gulfs or inlets, its shores extending in a lengthened line from the west in an oblique direction The names of its peoples, and its cities in especial, cannot possibly be pronounced with correctness, except by the aid of their own native tongues. Its population, too, for the most part dwells only m fortresses[2].
(1.) On our entrance into Africa, we find the two Mauritanias, which, until the time of Gains Cæsar[3], the son of Grermanicus, were kingdoms; but, suffering under his cruelty, they were divided into two provinces. The extreme promontory of Africa, which projects into the ocean, is called Ampelusia[4] by the Greeks. There were formerly two towns Lissa and Cotte[5] beyond the Pillars of Hercules; but, at the present day, we only find that of Tingi[6], which was for-
- ↑ Not reckoning under that appellation the country of Egypt which was more generally looked upon as forming part of Asia. Josephus inform us that Africa received its name from Ophir, great-grandson of Abraham and his second wife, Keturah.
- ↑ 'Castella,' fortified places, erected for the purpose of defence: not towns lormed for the reception of social communities.
- ↑ The Emperor Caligula, who, in the year 41 A.D., reduced the two Mauntamas to Roman provinces, and had King Ptolemy, the son of Juba, put to death.
- ↑ Now Cape Spartel. By Scylax it is called Hermæum, and by Ptolemy and Strabo Cote, or Coteis. Pliny means "extreme," with reference to the sea-line of the Mediterranean, in a direction due west.
- ↑ Mentioned again by Pliny in B. xxxii. c. 6. Lissa was so called according to Bochart, from the Hebrew or Phœnician word liss, 'a lion.' At the present day there is in this vicinity a headland called the 'Cape of the Lion.' Bochart thinks that the name 'Cotta,' or ' Cotte ' was derived from the Hebrew quothef, a 'vine-dresser.'
- ↑ The modern Tangier occupies its site. It was said to have derived
