Strabo, Geography, Horace Leonard Jones (Translator), 6.1.7

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[7] As one sails from Rhegium towards the east, and at a distance of fifty stadia, one comes to Cape Leucopetra¹ (so called from its color), in which, it is said, the Apennine Mountain terminates. Then comes Heracleium, which is the last cape of Italy and inclines towards the south; for on doubling it one immediately sails with the southwest wind as far as Cape Iapygia, and then veers off, always more and more, towards the northwest in the direction of the Ionian Gulf.² After Heracleium comes a cape belonging to Locris , which is called Zephyrium ; its harbor is exposed to the winds that blow from the west, and hence the name. Then comes the city Locri Epizephyrii ,³ a colony of the Locri who live on the Crisaean Gulf,⁴ which was led out by Evanthes only a little while after the founding of Croton and Syracuse .⁵ Ephorus is wrong in calling it a colony of the Locri Opuntii. However, they lived only three or four years at Zephyrium , and then moved the city to its present site, with the cooperation of Syracusans [for at the same time the latter, among whom . . .]⁶ And at Zephyrium there is a spring, called Locria, where the Locri first pitched camp. The distance from Rhegium to Locri is six hundred stadia. The city is situated on the brow of a hill called Epopis.

Geography. Strabo. Horace Leonard Jones (Translator). London. 1924-1929.

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Current edition Perseus

Geography (Books 6-14) (English) (Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, Vols. 3-6. Jones, Horace Leonard, translator. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd., 1924-1929 (printing).)

Editions (1)

Γεωγραφικά Perseus (Strabo. Strabonis Geographica, Vols. 1-3. Meineke, August, editor. Leipzig: Teubner. 1877.) — 6.1.7 focus

[7] ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Ῥηγίου πλέοντι πρὸς ἕω Λευκοπέτραν καλοῦσιν ἄκραν ἀπὸ τῆς χρόας ἐν πεντήκοντα σταδίοις, εἰς ἣν τελευτᾶν φασι τὸ Ἀπέννινον ὄρος. ἐντεῦθεν δὲ Ἡράκλειον, ὃ δὴ τελευταῖον ἀκρωτήριον ὂν νεύει πρὸς μεσημβρίαν· κάμψαντι γὰρ εὐθὺς ὁ πλοῦς λιβὶ μέχρι πρὸς ἄκραν Ἰαπυγίαν· εἶτʼ ἐκκλίνει πρὸς ἄρκτον ἀεὶ καὶ μᾶλλον καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἑσπέραν ἐπὶ τὸν κόλπον τὸν Ἰόνιον. μετὰ δὲ τὸ Ἡράκλειον ἄκρα τῆς Λοκρίδος ἣ καλεῖται Ζεφύριον, ἔχουσα τοῖς ἑσπερίοις ἀνέμοις λιμένα, ἐξ οὗ καὶ τοὔνομα. εἶθʼ ἡ πόλις οἱ Λοκροὶ οἱ Ἐπιζεφύριοι, Λοκρῶν ἄποικοι τῶν ἐν τῷ Κρισαίῳ κόλπῳ, μικρὸν ὕστερον τῆς¹ Κρότωνος καὶ Συρακουσσῶν κτίσεως ἀποικισθέντες ὑπὸ Εὐάνθους· Ἔφορος δʼ οὐκ εὖ τῶν Ὀπουντίων Λοκρῶν ἀποίκους φήσας. ἔτη μὲν οὖν τρία ἢ τέτταρα ᾤκουν ἐπὶ τῷ Ζεφυρίῳ· καὶ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ κρήνη Λοκρία, ὅπου οἱ Λοκροὶ ἐστρατοπεδεύσαντο. εἶτα μετήνεγκαν τὴν πόλιν συμπραξάντων καὶ Συρακουσσίων. ἅμα γὰρ οὗτοι ἐν οἷς εἰσὶ δʼ ἀπὸ Ῥηγίου μέχρι Λοκρῶν ἑξακόσιοι στάδιοι. ἵδρυται δʼ ἡ πόλις ἐπʼ ὀφρύος ἣν Ἐπῶπιν καλοῦσι.

Translations (1)

Geography Perseus (Strabo. The Geography of Strabo, Vols. 1-3. Hamilton, Hans Claude, translator; Falconer, William, translator. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1854-1857.) — 6.1.7 focus

[7] Sailing 50 stadia from Rhegium towards the east, we meet the cape called Leucopetra, from the colour of the rock, where they say the range of the Apennines terminates.¹ Further on is Heraclaeum.² It is the last promontory, and looks towards the south; for presently on doubling it the course takes a south-western direction as far as the promontory of Iapygia,³ then it runs towards the north more and more, and towards the west along the Ionian gulf. After the Herculeum Promontorium is the head-land of Locris, which is called Zephyrium,⁴ possessing a haven exposed to the west winds, whence is derived its name. Then is the state of the Locri Epizephyrii, a colony of Locrians transported by Evanthes from the Crissaean gulf, shortly after the foundation of Crotona and Syracuse.⁵ Ephorus was not correct in stating that they were a colony of the Locri Opuntii.⁶ They remained at first during three or four years at Cape Zephyrium; afterwards they removed their city, with the assistance of certain Syracusans who dwelt amongst them. There is also a fountain called Locria in the place where the Locri first took up their abode. From Rhegium to the Locri there are 600 stadia. The city is built on a height, which they call Esopis.⁷

Notes on the current edition

Geography

1. Literally, “White Rock.”

2. The “Ionian Gulf” was the southern “part of what is now called the Adriatic Sea ” (2. 5. 20); see 7. 5. 8-9.

3. Literally, the “western Locrians,” both city and inhabitants having the same name.

4. Now the Gulf of Salona in the Gulf of Corinth .

5. Croton and Syracuse were founded, respectively, in 710 and 734 B.C. According to Diod. Sic. 4.24 , Heracles had unintentionally killed Croton and had foretold the founding of a famous city on the site, the same to be named after Croton .

6. The Greek text, here translated as it stands, is corrupt. The emendations thus far offered yield (instead of the nine English words of the above rendering) either (1) “for the latter were living” (or “had taken up their abode”) “there at the same time” or (2) “together with the Tarantini.” There seems to be no definite corroborative evidence for either interpretation; but according to Pausanias, “colonies were sent to Croton , and to Locri at Cape Zephyrium, by the Lacedaemonians” (3.3); and “ Tarentum is a Lacedaemonian colony” (10. 10). Cp. the reference to the Tarantini in Strabo’s next paragraph.

Strabo Geography 6.1.7

Horace Leonard Jones (Translator)

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