Re: Celtic Jutland

From: Joseph S Crary
Message: 8143
Date: 2001-07-29

Sources...

Actually, I believe Pliny provides the name Basiliam

PLINI SECUNDI NATURALIS HISTORIAE

LIBRI IV

[Chapter 13]

[Line 95]
Philemon Morimarusam a Cimbris vocari, hoc est mortuum mare, inde
usque ad promunturium Rusbeas, ultra deinde Cronium. Xenophon
Lampsacenus a litore Scytharum tridui navigatione insulam esse
inmensae magnitudinis Balciam tradit, eandem Pytheas Basiliam
nominat. feruntur et Oeonae, in quibus ovis avium et avenis incolae
vivant, aliae, in quibus equinis pedibus homines nascantur,
Hippopodes appellati, Phanesiorum aliae, in quibus nuda alioqui
corpora praegrandes ipsorum aures tota contegant.

Rendering
Philemon [claims] the Cimbris word Morimarusam, means the Dead Sea,
there upwards towards the Rusbeas promontory, on the other side next
to Cronium. Xenophon Lampsacenus sailed three days along the coast
[of ] Scytharum (error as it should be Scatinavum) to obtain a
measurement [of the] distance [to] Balciam Isle. Pytheas mentioned
the very same names [as the] Basiliam and Oeonae [isles], on whose
wild [coasts] dwell sheep and wild-oats, according to the populace
they produce [a device] called Hippopodes (horseshoe) for the feet of
their houses, [from] Phanesiorum another report that someone stripped
[an] ancient entombed corpse [that was] entirely over laid in gold.

[Line 96]
Incipit deinde clarior aperiri fama ab gente Inguaeonum, quae est
prima in Germania. mons Saevo ibi, inmensus nec Ripaeis iugis minor,
inmanem ad Cimbrorum usque promunturium efficit sinum, qui Codanus
vocatur, refertus insulis, quarum clarissima est Scatinavia,
inconpertae magnitudinis, portionem tantum eius, quod notum sit,
Hillevionum gente quingentis incolente pagis: quare alterum orbem
terrarum eam appellant. nec minor est opinione Aeningia.

Rendering
Now to clearly begin recounting [the] fame [of the] nations [of]
Inguaeonum, which are the closest of Germania. Recently, the area
[between] Mount Saevo and Ripaeis [has] not [been] continuously
surveyed. All the way up to [the] promontory of Cimbrorum [the]
facing tide has caused a bowl shaped curve, that [is] called Codanus
(The Tail). [This is a place] crowded with islands, that are distinct
from Scatinavia, [where except] for that which is known [a region of]
undefined magnitude, [and] shape much the same. [In this] district
dwells [the] Hillevionum nation [of] 500 cantons, where formerly not
as subordinates they acquired land [in this] territory [from those]
believed to be [the] Aeningia.

[Line 97]
quidam haec habitari ad Vistlam usque fluvium a Sarmatis, Venedis,
Sciris, Hirris tradunt, sinum Cylipenum vocari et in ostio eius
insulam Latrim, mox alterum sinum Lagnum, conterminum Cimbris.
promunturium Cimbrorum excurrens in maria longe paeninsulam efficit,
quae Tastris appellatur. XXIII inde insulae Romanis armis cognitae.
earum nobilissimae Burcana, Fabaria nostris dicta a frugis
multitudine sponte provenientis, item Glaesaria a sucino militiae
appellata, barbaris Austeravia, praeterque Actania,

Rendering
Certain of these dwell from the flow [of the] Vistlam up to the
Sarmatis, Venedis, Sciris, [and] Hirris given, [the] bay called
Cylipenum and in [the] middle [the] Island [of] Latrim, [which is]
next [to] another bay [called] Lagnum, [a] region bordering [the]
Cimbris. [The] promontory of Cimbrorum extends far into [the] sea
causing [it to be a] peninsula, from that place Tastris solicited 23
Roman swords [to] becoming familiar with. [The] most noble Burcana,
offered to give freely [to] Fabaria our spokesmen [a] multitude of
beans, and likewise Glaesaria for amber and solicited military
support, [for the] savage Austeravia, against [the] Actania,

LIBRI XXXVII

Chapter 11

[Line 35]
…Sotacus credidit in Brittannia petris effluere, quas electridas
vocavit, Pytheas Guionibus, Germaniae genti, accoli ioaestuarium
oceani Metuonidis nomine spatio stadiorum sex milium ab hoc diei
naviäatione abesse insulam Abalum; illo per ver fluctibus advehi
et
esse concreti maris purgamentum; incolas pro ligno ad ignem uti eo
proximisque Teutonis vendere.

Rendering
… According to Sotacus, Pytheas Guionibus is credited for
[finding;]
the cliffs of Britannia (Britain), the origin of this name [now]
forgotten, the peoples of Germaniae, that dwell among the marshes of
the ocean named Metuonidis, [and] by the account of the voyage
[sailed] a distance of six thousand stadi (roughly 690 miles), from
the island of Abalum here a long time fading daylight (twilight);
that in spring [he] rode the waves to a place where the sea was
harden yet shattered; and accordingly to collect firewood resided
[there] in brightness until [he] went to the proximity of the
Teutonis to trade.

I believe that Pliny may have either jumbled the copy of Pytheas or
had a secondary reference to the Pytheas report that was jumbled.
This is because the subject jumps from Britain, to Germania, to an
open sea voyage to an far northern isolated island, then to Germania
again. I suggest that the reference to Germania, Abalum, Metuinidis,
and trade with the Teutonis belong together. However, the placement
of Abalum with an open sea voyage of nearly 700 miles to an isle of
lasting bright twilight in spring near a harden yet shattered sea is
clearly another phase of Pytheas adventure. I think Abalum here may
have originally been Albanum?

If you need more help just ask


JS Crary