The region of the Ginyphus has been celebrated for its extraordinary
fertility ; Herodotus asserts that it y i e l d e d three hundred for
one, and other writers have concurred in extolling the richness of
its soil *. I t is remarkable, however, that some authors who have
highly commended the soil of the Byzacium, have, at the same time,
omitted to notice the fertility of the region of the Cinyphus ; while
others, on the contrary, who have recorded .the extraordinary produce
of the district last-mentioned, have failed to make any allusion
to the productive qualities of the Byzacium. This circumstance has
induced Dr. Della Celia to imagine that some of the writers in
question intended to include both these districts in one ; and in
support of this idea he cites passages from Pliny and Strabo, which
appear to him decisive in its favour. Pliny says (it is Dr. Della
Celia who speaks) that “ the people who inhabit the Byzacium are
called Libyphceniees f i t is therefore only necessary to ascertain
in what country the Libyphceniees dwelt, to determine the position
of the Byzacium f . And here, continues the Doctor, is a very dear
reply of Strabo to this desideratum of ancient geography—“ Upon
* AyaSu Se y n xai TWV EwgffVsgmu vefzovrai* ev’exarova yag exeav au% eoiurns xgisa. evBixri
ex<peger fi 5e ev tu Kivtvri esti Tgiuxoffta. (M elp . g ufi.)
Scylax calls the region of the Cinyphus %upm xaXo«—and Mela describes the river—
per uberrima arva decidens. Other authorities may be. added to these in support of the
fertility of the district.
+ Libyphceniees vocàntur qui Byzacium incolunt.
| Plinio dice Libyphceniees vocantur qui Byzacium incolunt. Si tratta dunque di
sapere dove abitavono i Libifenicii per sapere il sito della regione Bizaòina. Ed eccole
una chiarissima risposta di Strabone a questo quesito di antica geografia : Sulla marina
che è da Cartagine fino al Cefelo, e fino ai Masselibii è il territorio dei Libifenicii.—
(Viaggio da Tripoli, &c. p. 48.)
the sea-coast, extending from Carthage to the Cephalas Promon-
torium, and to the Masselibii*, is the territory of the Libyphce-
nices.”
But it will scarcely, we imagine, be thought absolutely necessary
to conclude, that, because Byzacium may have formed a part of the
territory of the Libyphceniees, the whole of the country inhabited by
these people must therefore be called Byzacium ; for Strabo himself
has informed us, that the Byzacians extended only to the eastern
limits of Carthage (that is, of Carthage Proper, or Zeugitana); whereas
the tract which he has assigned to the Libyphceniees generally, comprehended
the whole of the Carthagenian territory, from the Cephalas
Promontorium to the country of the Masssesyli. The Massaesyli
were a people of Numidia, and their district formed the western
boundary of that country and Mauretania; so that between them
and the Byzacians (whom we may, surely, conclude to be the inhabitants
of the country from whieh their name is derived) the whole
of Numidia and Carthage Proper intervenes. The Libyphceniees
appear to have been the descendants of the Phoenicians (or Carthaginians)
and of the several native African, or Libyan, tribes in
# The Massaesyli seem here to be intended by Signor Della Celia, as will appear from
the passage in question. *
' Yflrepxsxrax m s avo K.aqy/itiovos ‘XotgotXia.s, A^X/5* KetpaXwv xai m s TS/La<T<Tauou\uovy vt
ruv A i€o<poivixa/v.,yvi, /xs%§* m s ruv T airnKeoy ogsmns, A iGvxns wa n s. (L ib . 17. ^ 19.)
The passage which follows from the Second Book of Strabo, fixes the limits which he
has assigned to the country of the Byzacii.
Ytfeg oe ravmsy xai ruv Sugrewv, ’PuXXasy xai Na<ra/x<t;vay, xai. ratv TaxraXfivV rxvay eira
Sxvray, xai /3u|axxay, ix£%§‘ ms Kotp'/ydtma.s . . .(Lib. 2. p. 131.)