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CHAP. 29. (26.)—MŒSIA.

Joining up to Pannonia is the province called Mœsia1, which runs, with the course of the Danube, as far as the Euxine. It commences at the confluence2 previously mentioned. In it are the Dardani, the Celegeri, the Triballi, the Timachi, the Mœsi, the Thracians, and the Scythians who border on the Euxine. The more famous among its rivers are the Margis3, which rises in the territory of the Dardani, the Pingus, the Timachus, the Œscus which rises in Mount Rhodope, and, rising in Mount Hæmus, the Utus4, the Asamus, and the Ieterus.

The breadth of Illyricum5 at its widest part is 325 miles, and its length from the river Arsia to the river Drinius 530; from the Drinius to the Promontory of Acroceraunia Agrippa states to be 175 miles, and he says that the entire circuit of the Italian and Illyrian Gulf is 1700 miles. In this Gulf, according to the limits which we have drawn, are two seas, the Ionian6 in the first part, and the Adriatic, which runs more inland and is called the Upper Sea.

1 Corresponding to the present Servia and Bulgaria.

2 Of the Danube with the Saave or Savus just mentioned.

3 Now the Morava, which runs through Servia into the Danube. The Pingus is probably the Bek, which joins the Danube near Gradistic. The Timachus is the modern Timoch, and the Œscus is the Iscar in Bulgaria.

4 Now called the Vid, the Osma, and the Jantra, rising in the Balkan chain.

5 Ajasson remarks here that the name of Illyricum was very vaguely used by the ancients, and that at different periods, different countries were so designated. In Pliny's time that region comprised the country between the Arsia and the mouth of the Drilo, bounding it on the side of Macedonia. It would thus comprehend a part of modern Carniola, with part of Croatia, Bosnia, Dahnatia, and Upper Albania. In later times this name was extended to Noricum, Pannonia, Moesia, Dacia, Macedonia, Thessalia, Achaia, Epirus, and even the Isle of Crete.

6 Here meaning that part of the Mediterranean which lies between Italy and Greece south of the Adriatic. In more ancient times the Adriatic was included in the Ionian Sea, which was probably so called from the Ionian colonies which settled in Cephallenia and the other islands on the western coast of Greece.

The Natural History. Pliny the Elder. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 1855.

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  • Cross-references to this page (4):
    • Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), DA´RDANI
    • Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), IATRUS
    • Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), RHO´DOPE
    • Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), TRIBALLI
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