Listed 6 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for destination: "SARDINIA Island ITALY".
(he Sardo or Sardon; later Sardania or Sardenia). Sardinia,
a large island in the Mediterranean, is in the shape of a parallelogram, upwards
of 140 miles in length from north to south, with an average breadth of 60. It
was regarded by the ancients as the largest of the Mediterranean islands, and
this opinion, though usually considered an error, is now found to be correct;
since it appears by actual measurement that Sardinia is a little larger than Sicily.
Sardinia lies in almost a central position between Spain, Gaul, Italy, and Africa.
A chain of mountains runs along the whole of the eastern side of the island from
north to south, occupying about one third of its surface. These mountains were
called by the ancients Insani Montes, a name which they probably derived from
their wild and savage appearance, and from their being the haunt of numerous robbers.
Sardinia was very fertile, but was not extensively cultivated, in consequence
of the uncivilized character of its inhabitants. Still the plains in the western
and southern parts of the island produced a great quantity of corn, of which much
was exported to Rome every year. Among the products of the island one of the most
celebrated was the Sardonica herba, a poisonous plant, which was said to produce
fatal convulsions in the person who ate of it. These convulsions agitated and
distorted the mouth so that the person appeared to laugh, though in excruciating
pain; hence the wellknown risus Sardonicus (Sardonios gelos, see Suidas, s. h.
v.). Sardinia contained a large quantity of the precious metals, especially silver,
the mines of which were worked in antiquity to a great extent. There were likewise
numerous mineral springs; and large quantities of salt were manufactured on the
western and southern coasts. The Greeks called the island Ichnusa (Ichnousa),
from its shape, which suggested a footprint, and Sandaliotis as resembling a sandal.
The population of Sardinia was of a very mixed kind. To what
race the original inhabitants belonged we are not informed; but it appears that
Phoenicians, Tyrrhenians, and Carthaginians settled in the island at different
periods. The Greeks are also said to have planted colonies in the island, but
this account is very suspicious. Sardinia was known to the Greeks as early as
B.C. 500, since we find that Histiaeus of Miletus promised Darius that he would
render the island of Sardo tributary to his power. It was conquered by the Carthaginians
at an early period, and continued in their possession until the end of the First
Punic War. Shortly after this event the Romans availed themselves of the dangerous
war which the Carthaginians were carrying on against their mercenaries in Africa
to take possession of Sardinia, B.C. 238. It was now formed into a Roman province
under the government of a praetor; but a large portion of it was only nominally
subject to the Romans; and it was not till after many years and numerous revolts
that the inhabitants submitted to the Roman dominion. Sardinia continued to belong
to the Roman Empire till the fifth century, when it was taken possession of by
the Vandals.
This text is cited Oct 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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