18. Fundi. 19. Formiæ. 20. Aquinum. 21. Cassinum. 22. Atina. 23. Sora. Of these, as has been observed before, Sub-augusta lay close by Rome; Ostia, sixteen miles from Rome and two from Portus; Gabii, thirteen from Rome and as many from Præneste. Tusculum, which some mistake for Tusculanum, where Cicero wrote his Tusculan Questions, was a city now called Frescati, and Ferrarius says but twelve miles from Rome. Signia, now called Segni, lay between Tusculum and Anagnia, six miles from each, nine from Præneste, and thirty from Rome, as Baudrand 74 informs us from Holstenius. The same author says 75, Ferentinum was but five miles from Anagnia and four from Aletrium; and Ferrarius 76 places Verule between Anagnia and Sora, nine or ten miles from each. Lavici is reckoned by Holstenius 77 but fifteen miles from Rome, and yet the diocese of Subaugusta came between them; for it was in the Via Lavicana, the direct way that leads from Rome to Lavici. Albanum and Alba are by some authors confounded together, but Holstenius 78 reckons them distinct cities; and Ferrarius 79 says, the one was fourteen and the other sixteen miles from Rome. But perhaps the one might only arise out of the ruins of the other, for they were not above two miles

74 Ap. Ferrar. voce, Signia. (t. 2. p. 194.) Signia, Segni, urbs alias Volscorum, in Latio, nunc Campaniæ Romanæ, in ditione pontificia, ducali titulo insignita. Ibi organa inventa fuere et modulationes, quibus utitur Romana ecclesia, inquit Petrarcha 30. milliaribus distat ab urbe Roma in ortum, et 9. a Præneste in meridiem; estque in summo jugo Lepini montis, teste Luca Holstenio.

75 Ibid. voce, Ferentinum. (t. I. p. 288.) Ferentinum, Ferentino vel Fiorentino, urbs est parva, in colle, tribus milliaribus ab Anagnia in ortum Verulum versus, et 6. a Frusinone in boream; 4. autem ab Alatro in occasum, sub dominio summi pontificis, et 8. milliaribus a confinio regni Neapolitani.

76 Ibid. voce, Verule. (t.2. p.318.) Verulum.... Verule Frontino, Veruli vulgo, colonia et urbs Latii episcopalis in Hernicis, apud Cosam fluvium, media fere inter Anagniam

ad occasum et Soram ad ortum 10. seu 9. mill. passuum.

77 In Cluver. (p. 194.) In Cluv. p. 947. lin. 33. Procedit ad 120 stadia. Mil. pass. 15.

78 Ibid. (p. 183.) Albanum. Immo jam ante hæc tempora Gregorii M. ep. 11. 1. 3. exstat ordini et plebi consistenti in Albano scripta, &c. Petavii errorem. Levissimus sane error: nam prædia illa et villæ proxima erant ipsi Albæ.

79 [Voce, Alba Longa. (t. 1. p.21.) Alba Longa, Alba adhuc, urbs Latii excisa, antiquior Roma, ab Ascanio an. 32. post excidium Troja condita, anno mundi 3066. Manet episcopatus cardinalibus tribui solitus, ab urbe Roma 16. mill. passuum. Illam circumstant Castra, Albanum, Savellum, et Gandulphi, ex ruinis ejus, ut ferunt, constructa. Baudrand. (ibid.) Alba in ruinis jacet... Distat ab urbe Roma. 14. mill. passuum. Grischov.]

from each other. Velitræ was but four miles from Alba and twenty from Rome; Antium on the Tuscan shore fourteen from Velitræ and twenty from Ostia, as the same Ferrarius 80 informs us. Between Antium and Velitræ lay Tres Tabernæ, the place whither the Christians came to meet St. Paul from Rome. Carolus à Sancto Paulo thinks it is the same which is now called Cisterna, but Holstenius 81 says, it was at some distance from it in the Via Appia, so near Velitræ that Gregory the Great united those two dioceses together. Ferrarius 82 says it was but five miles from Velitræ, and twenty-six, or, as Baudrand computes, twenty-one from Rome, five from Aricia, and twenty-two from Appii Forum, the other place whither the brethren came to meet St. Paul. Indeed, neither Aricia nor Appii Forum are mentioned as episcopal sees by any ancient writer; but Ferrarius 83 seems to make them both so; for he says Aricia was a famous city and a Roman colony, which by the common rule of the Church had thereby a title to an episcopal see. Nor is it any objection against it that it was but sixteen miles from Rome, and four or five from Alba, Tres Tabernæ, and Velitræ; for we have seen already that many cities in this tract were at no greater distance from one another. Of Appii Forum he speaks more positively, and says it was anciently an episcopal see $4, though from what authority he tells us not. But there is some reason to believe it, because it was a city at a good distance from any other; for Tarracina on the east was near twelve miles from it, and Tres Tabernæ westward above twenty; so that either Tres Taberna and Tarracina must have dioceses of more than ordinary extent in these parts, or else Appii Forum must come between them. But I let this pass, because in matters of doubtful nature,

80 Voce, Velitræ. (t. 2. p. 311.)... Colonia et urbs Latii episcopalis in Via Appia, a Roma 20. mill. pass. in eurum, Privernum versus distans, Albæ et Ariciæ vicina ad 3. et 4. mill., &c.

81 Annot. in Car. a S. Paul. p. 9. (ap. Car. a S. Paul. p. 51. n. t.) Tres Tabernæ, &c. Hoc falsum: Nam Trium Tabernarum vestigia haud procul inde in ipsa Via Appia conspiciuntur. Gregorius Magnus

hanc ecclesiam desolatam Velitrensi conjunxit.

82 Voce, Tres Taberna. (t. 2. p. 280.) Tres Tabernæ, Cisterna, urbs olim Latii episcopalis..... inter urbem Romam 26. et Forum Appii 22. mill. pass. ultra Velitras 6.

83 Voce, Aricia. (t. 1. p. 66.)..... Urbs et col. olim clara Latii, &c.

84 Voce, Forum Appii. (ibid. p. 295.) Urbs Latii olim episcopalis, &c.

where we are destitute of ancient authorities, nothing can certainly be determined. I go on therefore with those that are more certain. From Tarracina to Fundi the modern accounts 85 reckon but ten miles, though the Jerusalem Itinerary calls it thirteen 86, and Antonine's Itinerary sixteen. From Fundi to Formiæ the same Itineraries reckon twelve and thirteen, which Ferrarius from the modern geographers esteems but ten; cautioning his reader here 87 against a great error in Strabo, who makes it four hundred stadia, that is fifty miles, from Tarracina to Formiæ, when indeed it was not half the distance. If we look a little upward from the sea to the north-eastern part of Latium, there we find Aquinum and Cassinum but five miles from one another, and Atina the same distance from Cassinum, and Sora twelve miles from Atina, twelve from Ferentinum, sixteen from Cassinum, and sixty from Rome. So that in the compass of seventy old Italian miles, which are not quite sixty of the modern, there were betwixt twenty and thirty bishoprics, answerable to the number of cities in Latium in the most flourishing times of the Roman empire.

From Latium we must pass into Campania, where we first meet with Minturnæ, now called Scaffa del Garigliano, not far from the mouth of the river Liris, which Ferrarius 88 computes nine miles from Formiæ, and as many from Sinuessa. A little above these lay Teanum, now called Tiano, eight miles from Suessa, twelve from Capua; and Calenum was the same distance from Capua, and but six from Suessa, and six from Sinuessa, as Ferrarius 89 reckons. Carolus à Sancto Paulo takes Calenum for Cagli, and others for Cales; but Holstenius 90

Teanum, cognomento Sidicinum Plinio et aliis, Tiano, colonia et urbs Campaniæ episcopalis sub archiepiscopo Capuano, inde 12. mill. pass. Casinum versus 20. in colle, inter Cales 4. et Suessam 8.-It. voce, Calenum. (t. 1. p. 148.) Calenum, Carinola, urbs Campaniæ, in regno Neapolitano, in agro Stellate, apud Montem Massicum, Suessæ propinqua ad 6. mill. pass. totidem fere a Sinuessa urbe excisa, episc. sub archiepiscopo Capuano, inde 12. mill. Sinuessam versus.

90 In Cluver. (p. 258. ult. lin.) Ipsam Carinolam olim Celenam vel

shows it to be the same with Carinola, which is now a bishop's seat, and as Baudrand computes, but four miles from Suessa, ❤ and as many from the Tuscan shore. Next beyond these lay Vulturnum, now called Castel di Bitorno, at the mouth of the river Vulturnus, eight miles from Sinuessa, and nine from Linternum, and ten from Capua. Five miles beyond Linternum, on the same shore, was Cumæ, and three miles below that Misenum, from whence to Puteoli was but three miles likewise, and from Puteoli to Naples six, according to Ferrarius's computation. About eighteen miles beyond Naples was Stabiæ, and six from that Surrentum on the same shore, beyond which was Amalphia and Salernum, the last of which is reckoned by Ferrarius but twenty-four miles from Naples. On the north and east of Naples lay Nola, which could not be above twelve miles from it; for Holstenius 91 observes, that Octavianum, the village where Octavius Augustus died, under Mount Vesuvius, was in the way between them, five miles from Naples, and seven from Nola. Between Nola and Capua lay Acerræ, six miles from Nola, and eight from Naples, and ten from Capua; for from Nola to Capua was but twenty old Italian miles, as we learn from Paulinus 22, bishop of Nola, who could not be mistaken. Naples and Capua were but sixteen miles asunder, and yet Atella, now called St. Arpino, or St. Elpidio, lay between them, which, Ferrarius 93 says, was eight miles from each. Calatia was but the same distance to the north of Capua; Venafrum but ten miles from Cassinum. Abellinum was the largest diocese in all Campania, sixteen miles from

Celennam dictam conjicio primum ex versu Virgilii, 1. 7. [v. 739.] Quique Rufas [al. Rufras] Batulumque colunt, atque arva Celennæ. Cum enim Rufæ... fuerit, ubi nunc Presenzanum, Theanensis diœcesis oppidum, exstat, Celennam quoque in hac Campaniæ parte ponendam existimo, cui planitiem magnam subjectam Virgilius ostendit. Deinde quia Julianus, Pelagianus episcopus Campanus, Celanensis episcopus a Beda vocatur, quod ad Virgilii Celennam non male trahit Rosweidus in notis ad Paulinum. Nam Celanensis civitas, ut apud Prosperum in Chronicis legitur, extra Campa

niam in Hirpinis fuit. Julianum vero alicubi in Campania episcopum fuisse testatur idem Prosper in epigrammate, quo eumdem Julianum perstringit.

91 Annot. in Ortel. (p. 133.) Octavianum, villa Octavii imperatoris, sub Vesuvio monte 5. m. p. a Neapoli, et 7. ab urbe Nola, ubi etiam mortuus

est.

92 Ad Cyther. Carm. 13. (p. 492.) Ab urbe Capua, quæ locis sedis meæ Bis dena distat millia, &c.

93 Voce, Atella. (t. 1. p. 82.)... Media inter Capuam et Neapolim 8. mill. pass. utrimque, &c.

Beneventum, and as much from Nola, Salernum, and Frequentum in the province of Samnium, to which, Baudrand 94 says, it was afterward united.

If now we put all these Italian dioceses hitherto enumerated together, they amount to above one hundred and ten, whereof twenty were in that little part of Tuscia, which is now called St. Peter's Patrimony, twenty in Umbria, eleven in Valeria, nineteen in Picenum Suburbicarium, and forty-three in Latium and Campania. And yet all this country put together was not in the longest part of it above two hundred miles on the Tuscan shore; for from the river Marta, on which lay Tarquinia and Gravisca, to Rome is reckoned fifty modern miles; from Rome to Naples one hundred and twenty-five; and from Naples to Salernum, the utmost diocese in Campania, but twenty-four, according to the computations of Ferrarius. On the Adriatic shore it was only the length of Picenum Suburbicarium, between the rivers Esis and Aternus, which was not above one hundred and twenty miles. The breadth of it in the widest part of it, from Ancona on the Adriatic Sea to Ostia on the Tuscan Sea, was but one hundred and sixty-four miles, and in the narrower parts, from the mouth of the river Aternus to the mouth of the Liris, not above one hundred and twenty miles; which the curious may divide among one hundred and ten dioceses, and then examine whether they exceed the proportions which I have before assigned them.

nium.

6. I will not stand so nicely to examine the rest of the Italian of Samdioceses, but only recount the number in each province, and make a few remarks upon the largest, as I have hitherto done upon the smallest; that the reader may pursue this inquiry further at his own pleasure, and see that the greatness or smallness of a diocese anciently bred no division or disturbance in the Catholic Church.

The next province then in order to be spoken of is Samnium, which lay on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, between Picenum Suburbicarium on the west, from which it was divided by the river Aternus, or Pescara, and Apulia on the east, from which it was separated by the river Frenta. In this province Carolus à Sancto Paulo reckons but ten dioceses. 1. Beneventum. 2. Sæpinum. 3. Sulmo. 4. Bovianum, 94 Ut supr. voce, Abellinum. (p. 3.)... Unitus est cum Frequentino, &c. BINGHAM, VOL. III.

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