Istria as described in the chapters of Cosmography, penned by the anonymous Ravenna Cosmographer (Anonymus Ravennas), including the region's rendition on the famous Peutinger's Map (Tabula Peutingeriana).
[om.]
[cap. I/17]
Nos denique volumus, Christo nobis auxiliante, plurimas civitates vel flumina tama circa litus quatuor principalia colforab maris designare, ydc est:
[om.]
Tertius colfus est Occidentalis, qui remigatur iuxta litus maris a loco qui dicitur Diana, qui est sub Durachium, per Dalmatias, Ystriam et Venetias. Revolvitur Esperius colp[us]d ab Altino et Ravenna per fines Pentapoleos Spoletaneorum et Beneventanorum usque Veretum, qui est super Ydranta.
[om.]
[cap. IV/22]
Yterum ad Mare Magnum, yd est ad colfuma occidentalem, ponitur patria que dicitur Luburnia Carsaticensisb, quam patriam Luburniam subscriptic, qui Carnich patriam, ipsi eandem descripserunt phylosophi, sed ego secundum prefatum Marcomirum Gothorum phylosophum civitates inferius dictas eiusdem Liburnie patrie nominavi. Yn qua patria plurimas fuisse civitates legimus, ex quibus aliquantasd designare volumus, yd est civitas: Elona, ytem Damcoritone, Argerunto, Bigiospelaf, Pupliscag, Senia, Turres, Raparia, Tharsaticum, Lauriana, Albona.
Ytem supersunth quii in ipsa provincia Liburnia, yd est: Olisa, Tarneumj, Abendone, Parupion, Ethetia, Ancus.
Ytem iuxta ipsam Liburniam litus Mare Magnum est patria que dicitur Ystria, que ex istak pertinet.l
[om.]
[cap. IV/29]
Iterum ad frontem superscriptea antedicte Burgondieb est patria nobilissima et om[n]inoc fertilis que dicitur Italiad, quam Italiam plurimi descripserunt phylosophi, ex quibus ego legi multotiens dictos Castorium et Lolianum atque Arbitionem Romanorum phylosophos et superscriptum Anaridum et Eldebaldum atque Marcomirum Gothorum phylosophos, sed [non]e equaliter prefatam exposuerunt patriam vel eiusdem patrie civitates non consonantes nominaverunt, sed alius dixit aliter, alius dixit alio modo, sed ego secundum prenominatum Castorium predictam Italiam vel eius civitates nominavi.f
Que Italia habet infra se provincias famosissimas decem et octo, yd est: Liguria, provintias Venetiarum, Hystriag, nam iterum per imperialem estratam proxima superscripte provintie Ligurie Traspadine est provintia que dicitur Emilia, et ad Mare Magnum Adriaticum est provintia Flaminia Ravenatish, ytem Annonaria Pentapolensis est super ipsam Pentapolim, yd est provintia [quinque]i castellorum, quej ab antiquis [ita vocabatur]k, ytem ad Mare Magnum Adriaticum iuxta prefatam Pentapolim est provintia Spolitium Sacensisl, [item provintia Denersism, item provincia Apulie]n, ytem provintia que dicitur Calabria Brindicensis, girat autem ipsa Ytalia, yd est de Adriatico mare in Gallico a provintiao Pritasp Rigiensis, namq et est provintiar inter Adriaticum mare et Gallicum media que ab antiquis dicitur Campania, que nunc Beneventanorum dicitur patria, iuxta vero mare Gallicum est provintia in ipsa Ytalia que dicitur Lucania, ytem provintia Campania Taracinensis, ytem provintia Rome Tuscia insignis nobilissima, ytem provintia que dicitur Tuscia, ytem provincia maritima Ytalorum que dicitur Lunensis, et Vigintimilii et ceterarum civitatum, que provintia iuxta mare Gallicum confinalis existit de superscriptams provintia Septimaniat.
[cap. IV/30]
Quam prefatam nobilissimam Ytaliam quidam phylosophi amplius quam septingentas civitates habuisse dixerunt, ex quibus aliquantas denominare volumus.
[om.]
Ytem in regione Istriea sunt civitates, yd estb: Tregeste, Sapparis, Humago, Neapolis, Parentio, Ruigno, Pola.c
[cap. IV/31]
Dicere civitates eiusdem Ytalie circa maris littora positas ab imaa Ytalia inchoemus, yd est a civitate Arsieb, que finitur inter provintia Librunia vel Histriac, sed quia iam antea ali[quanta]asd civitates nominavimus ut membratim eas per singulas provintias exponeremus, attamen ut significemuse que civitates vel civitatum territoriarumf, yd est: Arsia, Nessatio, Pola, Ruginio, Parentiumg, Neapolis, Humago, Siparis, Silbio, Piranonh, Capris, Tergesten, Foroiulium, Puciolis, Aquileia, Concordia, Altinum, Tribicium, Patavium, Monssilicis, Prosilia, Adestum, Adrianopolis, Ravenna nobilissimai, in qua licet idiota ego – huius cosmographie expositor –, Christo adiuvante, genitus sum.j
[om.]
[cap. IV/36]
Nominavimus Hystriama ex ipsa pertinentia ex Ytaliab, [in qua Hystria]c sunt diversa flumina, inter cetera que dicuntur, id est: Rusano, Argaone, Nengone et Arsia.
[om.]
[cap. IV/37]
Conpletura autem predicta Ytalia habens finem ab ipsob latere excelso[s] monte[s]c quosd quidam Titanos dicunt, qui pertingunt mare Gallico non longe a predicta civitate Vigintimilia. Quee montes dividatf interg provintiam [Septimanam]h et Ytaliam, ynteri Burgundiam et Ytaliam, interianosj et Ytaliam, interk Rameosl, que modo ab aunariism dominatur, et Ytaliam, inter Carontanosn et Ytaliam, inter patriam Carnium [et]o Italia[m]p; que iugus Carnium [dicebatur]q ab antiquitus Alpis Iulia. Quamr montes finientes ipsam Ytaliam descendunt ex parte ad mare Adriaticum non longe a civitate Tarsaticos provintie Liburnie in loco qui dicitur Phanas. A secundo autem latere habet ipsa Ytalia finem predictum Mare Magnum Adriaticum, cuius litore ponitur ipsa Ytalia, usque co[m]pletamt superius dictam provinciam Ystriam. A tertio vero latere habet ipsa Ytalia finem prefatum Mare Gallicum, cuius iuxta littora ponitur ipsa Ytalia, usqueu super scriptos montes qui dividunt, ut diximus, inter Vigintimilia et civitate Nicea provintie Septimane. A quarto namque latere habet ipsa Ytalia finem de superscriptum Mare Ionicumv, qui et Adriaticum dicitur, simulw et fretum, quod appellaturx Regiensisy, qui dividit Siciliam et prefatam Ytaliam, quod fretum non est in summa Ytalia, sed magis reiacet ex latere ad partem Maris Magni Gallici.
[om.]
[cap. V/1]
Et si amat lector vel auditor [et]a volunt subtiliusb scire totas civitates circa littorac tocius Maris Magni positas tantummodo unam alteriusd conexam vel si eas iam totas nominavimus per singulas suas positas patrias, attamen reiterantes totas circa littora Maris Magni positas, Christo nobis auxiliante, minutius designemus quod [est]e:
[om.]
[cap. V/14]
Iterum civitas Lissum, Scodrisa, Butua, Decadoron, Bicinionb, Epytauron, Assidium, Bretorumc, Turres, Narona, Pretoria, Biston, Aronia, Oneon, Nerente, Yonopen, Spalatumd, Dianion, Salona, Siclis, Tragurion, Pretorium Cesaris, Pretorium Magnum, Aurasione, Tambia, Rider, Scardona, Ymplecuse, Ararisionf, Nedinon, Yadera, Enona, Agit, Corinthon, Argerunton, Bigi, Ospela, Publisca, Senia, Turres, Rapparia, Tharsaticum, Lauriana, Albona, Arsia, Nesaciu[m]g, Pola, Revingoh, Parencium, Neapolis, Humagoi, Siparisj, Silbonis, Piranok, Capris, Tergeste, Adbessicin, Foroiulium, Putiolis, Aquilegial, Concordism, Altinum, Tarbisiumn, Patavi[um]o, Montissilicip, Prosilia, Adestum, Adrianopolis et suprascripta Ravenna.q
A superscripta civitate Durachior circa littora maris usque superius dictam civitatem Ravennatems sunt civitates septuaginta duo et supputantur miliaria mille sedecimt.
[om.]
[cap. V/24]
Nam in colfaa occidentaleb in ipso Mari Magno littore Dalmatie seu Liburnie atque Ystrie sunt insule, ynter ceteras que dicunturc, yd est: Corcora, Ysia, Saciad, Braziae, Faria, Solenta, Boa, Leporaria, Poraria, Terariaf, Solenta, Didraa, Sera, Biperaria, Celentum, Figlina, Rubricatas, Artion, Dicera, Nisirisg, Sarona, Malata, Cissa, Egodes, Distrete, Curricus, Absarus, Primodia, Moa, Erafronia, Pullaria, Ursaria, Cervaria.
Sed et alie plurime insule in ipsa regione ponuntur, sed modice, et ideo eas taciturnitate comendamus.
[om.]
Cap. I/17: a) quamque em. Schnetz. b) principalia colfora] principales colfos C. c) sic B et saepe y loco i. d) colfius C.
Cap. IV/22: a) golfum C. b) sic B; Tarsaticiensis C et ed. Schnetz. c) superscripti C et ed. Schnetz. d) sic BC: pro aliquantes, sicut em. Schnetz. e) Dacoriton cum sign. abbr. supra primam syllabam BC; Da, Coriton coni. et sic em. Schnetz. f) sic BC: pro Bigi, Ospela et sic em. Schnetz. g) Bupplisca C. h) sic BC; desuper sunt coni. et sic em. Schnetz. i) sic B; om. C; civitates em. Schnetz. j) Tharneum C. k) sic BC: pro Italia coni. et sic em. Schnetz. l) Ystria add. in marg. sup. C.
Cap. IV/29: a) om. C et Schnetz. b) Burgundie C. c) oino cum sign. abbr. supra i C. d) Ytalia C et saepe sic; Ytalia add. al. man. in marg. dex. C. e) om. B; legitur in C. f) Italia habet XVIII provincias add. al. man. in marg. sup. C. g) nistria C; Istria add. al. man. in marg. sin. C. h) Ravennatis C. i) om. BC; em. Schnetz. j) seq. ita add. C. k) om. B; legitur in C. l) Saucensis C; Sauclensis coni. et sic em. Schnetz. m) Dardensis em. Schnetz. n) om. B; legitur in C. o) ex provinitias corr. B; provinciis C. p) Prita C. q) namque C. r) et est provintia] provincia est C. s) sic B; superscipta C et ed. Schnetz. t) Septimana C.
Cap. IV/30: a) Ystrie C. b) yd est] om. Schnetz. c) Trieste, Parenzo, Pola, Ruigno add. al. man. in marg. dex. C.
Cap. IV/31: a) ina C. b) Arbem vel Arsia add. al. man. in marg. dex. C. c) Ystria C. d) alias BC; aliquantas em. Schnetz. e) significamus em. Schnetz. f) territoria ... em. Schnetz. g) om. C. h) Pirano cum sign. abbr. supra ultimam syllabam add. al. man. in marg. dex. C. i) Ravenna add. al. man. in marg. dex. C. j) Nota expositorem add. al. man. in marg. sin. C.
Cap. IV/36: a) Ystriam C. b) ex ipsa pertinentia ex Ytalia] sic BC; et ipsam pertinentem ex Italia em. Schnetz. c) om. BC; add. Schnetz.
Cap. IV/37: a) sic B; completur C et ed. Schnetz. b) sic B; abso C; fort. pro uno et sic em. Schnetz. c) excelso monte] sic BC; excelsos montes em. Schnetz. d) quem C. e) sic B; qui C et sic ed. Schnetz. f) sic B; dividunt C et sic ed. Schnetz. g) om. C. h) om. B; legitur in C. i) om. C. j) sic B; Maurianos C; inter [Ala]manos coni. et sic em. Schnetz. k) et C. l) sic B; Ranicos C; pro Raetia coni. et sic em. Schnetz. m) ab aunariis] sic B; ab annarus C; pro a Bawariis et sic em. Schnetz. n) seq. et eras. B; Corontanos C. o) om. B; legitur in C. p) Italia B; Ytaliam C. q) om. B; legitur in C. r) sic B: pro qui et sic em. Schnetz. s) Tharsatico C. t) copletam B; completam C. u) seq. ad add. C. v) superscriptum Mare Ionicum] super Mare scriptum Ionicum C. w) similiter C. x) sic BC; appellato em. Schnetz. y) Rogiensis C.
Cap. V/1: a) om. B. b) ex sutilius corr. B. c) litora C. d) alteri C. e) om. BC; em. Schnetz.
Cap. V/14: a) Scodre C et ed. Schnetz. b) Bizinion C. c) Bretorium C et ed. Schnetz. d) Spalatium C et ed. Schnetz. e) Impletus C et ed. Schnetz. f) Aurasion C; Arusion em. Schnetz. g) Nesaciu B; Nesacium C. h) Reunigo C. i) Humagus C. j) Sipparis C. k) Pyranos C. l) Aquileia C et ed. Schnetz. m) Concordia C et ed. Schnetz. n) Tribicium C. o) Patavi B; Patavium C et ed. Schnetz. p) Monssilicis C et ed. Schnetz. q) Corinton, Arsia, Pola, Parenço, Trieste, Aquilegia, Concordia, Ravenna add. al. man. in marg. sin. C. r) Dyrachii et seq. que est add. C. s) Ravennam C et ed. Schnetz. t) sexdecim C.
Cap. IV/22: a) colfo C et ed. Schnetz. b) occidentali C. c) sic BC; dicitur em. Schnetz. d) lect. dub. B; Sacra C et ed. Schnetz. e) Braçia C. f) Lenaria C. g) Nistris C.
Guido de Pisa, Geographia, opus saec. XII -
[capp. 5–8]
Italia habens fines ab occidente montes excelsos, quos quidam Titanos dicunt, alii Alpes Iovias nominant, incipientes a mari Gallico, quod et Tirrenum, haud longe a praedicta civitate Vigintimilio. Qui videlicet montes dividunt inter provinciam Septimanam et ltaliam, inter Retíanos et Italiam, inter Carantanos et ltaliam, inter patriam Carnuntum et ltaliam, quod iugum Carnich ab antiquis Alpes Iuliae dicebantur, quique etiam tali modo claudentes ltaliam descendunt ad sinum maris Adriatici non longe a civitate Tharsatico Provincie Liburnie in locum qui dicitur Fanas.
A secundo latere est Italie finis per litora predicti sinus maris Adriatici usque ad expletum tractum totius Provincie Histrie.
Tertia vero finis Italiae est mare Gallicum, quod et Tyrrhenum, incipiens a praedictis montibus qui dividunt inter civitatem Vigintimilium et Niceam civitatem provincie Septimanie, et desinens in angustum fretum Regii provinciae Calabriae. Quod fretum dividit Siciliani insulam ab Italia, quae prius unita ei, ut Salustius refert, fuerat, unde et alio in loco una provinciarum eius ponitur.
Quarta autem finis Italiae litoralia Ionici maris, a praedicta civitate Regio incipientes, extensa per ora sinus Adriatici usque ad coniunctionem litoris superius dicte provincie Histrie.
[om.]
[capp. 19–20]
Item in regione Histrie sunt civitates: Treiesta, Sapara, Umagum, Neapolis, Parentia, Ribingium, Pola.
Nominare itaque litoreas Italiae civitates volens, ab inferioribus partibus inchoandum est, id est a civitate Arsia, quae confinium Liburnie Histrieque provinciarum est, sed quia iam superius dictas ingessi civitates, ut membratim eas in unaquaque provincia exponerem, nunc easdem non incongrue reiterans ordinalius explicabo: Arsia, Nissacium, Pola, Ribingium, Neapolis, Umagum, Sapara quae et Sibaris, Silvium, Piranium, Capris, Treiesta, Foroiulii, Puciolis, Aquileia, Concordia, Altinum quae nunc Pucellis dicitur, Tarbisium, Patavium: hanc Antenor mediis Achivis elapsus a Troiae excidio condidit: Monssilicis, Prosilia, Adeustum, Hadrianopolis, Ravenna, in qua idem cosmographie expositor huius licet indoctus imus Christi servus exortus sum; quae scilicet non solum nobilitate, sed et autentu regio inter ceteras olim celsior, nunc Deo volente dignitate ecclesiastica atque pontificali, martirum in ea coruscantium meritis famosior excelsior excolitur.
[om.]
[capp. 66–68]
Item de provinciis Italiae secundum quosdam philosophos.
Prima igitur provincia Italie Liguria est, ubi constructa cernitur Mediolanus nobilissima urbs, in qua sanctissimus requiescit Ambrosius.
Secunda Histria cum Neustria, quae Venetiarum antiqua dignoscitur.
Tertia propinqua praedictae Liguriae Transpadanae ob constructam viam a Romanorum consule Emilio provincia est Emilia.
Quarta ad sinum maris Adriatici est provincia Flaminia, quae et ipsa similiter a constructa via per consulem Flaminium tale nomen sortita est. In hac circa potentissima et authentica urbium sita consistit Ravenna, in qua requiescens praesul et martyr Apollinaris.
Quinta provinciarum Italiae Annonica Pentapolensis est, super quam regio est quae castellanorum appellata est ab antiquis.
Sexta a maris sinu Adriatici iuxta praedictam Pentapolim provincia Picinum Spoletti Sauciensis est.
Septima provincia Dardensis est.
Octava coniunctam habens sibi Iapigiam a supiori id est occidentali plaga, et a superiori id est orientali regionem Solentinam, quae et Locria antiquitus dicta est, provincia Apulia est, quam alii ob nimiam fertilitatem omnium copiarum Epulia pronuntiant, quasi epulum id est prandium paratum omni tempore.
Nona Calabria, quae primitus ab antiquis Britania dicta est ob immensam affluentiam totius delitiae atque ubertatis. Haec a superiore parte sui a mare magno Gallico seu Tirreno in Adriaticum protractum provinciam habet Lucaniam, quae autentico nomine, id est Graeco, Leucania dicitur.
Decima quippe describitur in nullo inferior dapsilitate copiarum Apuliae vel Calabriae, sed magis habundantior: quae scilicet Leucania ob nitorem prospectus sui tale nomen sortita est.
Undecima provincia Italiae est Samnium nobilissima, ut retro redeam, in qua est Beneventus, habens sibimet Marsorum regionem conexam a dextro Romam euntibus latere.
Duodecima est Campania venustissima omnium fertilissima atque famosissima, in qua est excellentior urbium Capua.
Tertiadecima Tuscia nobilissima est.
Quartadecima Nursia.
Quintadecima Νumantia, in qua caput totius mundi praeminet urbs Roma.
Sextadecima Etruria quae et Tirsinida.
Septimadecima Umbria.
Octavadecima Vintimilia Ripariolum Linensis, quae et maritima.
[om.]
[capp. 114–117]
Hinc [supra Dyrachium] quoque civitas est: Pistrum, Lissum, Diode, Codras, Buccinium, Badua, Decadaron, Epitauron ubi nunc est Ratisium, Assidium, Praetorium, Turres, Narona, Praegoria, Biston, Aronix, Oneon, Nerente, Iunope, Spalathon, Dianion, Salona, Siclis, Tragurium, Praetorianum Caesaris, Praetorianum Magnum, Arausiona, Timbia, Ridder, Scardona, Impletus, Arausionium, Neclinum, Iadora, Ebona, Agit, Corinthon, Argerunton, Bigi, Ospella, Publisca, Senia, Turres, Raparia, Tharsaticum, Laureana, Albona, Arsia, Nesacium, Pola, Remigium, Parentium, Neapolis, Humagum, Sipparis, Silbonis, Piranum, Capris, Tergeste, Alessiccion, Foroiulium, Puciolis, Aquileia nobilis et olim inclita: hanc Attila saevissimus cepit et diruit, Concordia, Altinum, Trabitium, Patavium: quam elapsus Achivis Antenor..., Monssylicis, Prosilia, Adestum, Adrianopolis et praemissisa Ravenna.
Per sinuosa igitur litora Dalmatiae, Liburniae et Venetiarum a praescripta urbe Epidaurum nunc Dirachium videlicet usque ad saepe dictam urbem Ravennam civitates sunt LXXII et I miliaria passuum mille XVI colliguntur.
[om.]
[Joseph Schnetz (ed.), Ravennatis anonyimi Cosmographia et Guidonis Geographica, Itineraria Romana 2 (Stuttgart 1990), pp. 114-17, 128-29, 137-38.]
Tabula Peutingeriana – Interactive Map Focusing on Istria
Peutinger's Map, while not deriving directly from the Cosmopgraphy of the Anonymus Ravennas, still stems from the "same geographic tradition" (Lozovsky, cited below). The map is preserved as a 13th-century copy, currently in Vienna, Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek, codex 324 - the manuscript is digitized and available online for consultation here. However, it is commonly argued that this early 13th-century map is a re-elaborated copy of a much older work of cartography, one stemming all the way back to c. 2nd-century Roman Empire. This Roman map was subsequently re-elaborated by various copyists, and the surviving 13th-century exemplar features Carolingian-era "emendations." The facsimile displayed here is of the edition of the map as prepared by Konrad Miller and published as Die Weltkarte des Castorius genannt die Peutingersche Tafel in Stuttgart in 1887. The entire Peutinger's map as edited by Miller can be downloaded here.
Istria is shown as a distinct region - Isteria - featuring six cities: Trieste (Tergeste), Poreč (Parentium), Koper (Quaeri, a contaminated form of Aquae Risani), Savudrija between Piran and Umag (Silvo), Pula (Pola) and Plomin (Portus Planaticus). Interestingly, Labin (Alvona) is shown as pertaining to the region of Liburnia, along with Trsat (Tarsatica). The region of Istria is also dotted with three islands: S[...]omaia (traditionally equated with Sipar by Umag but according to Gaetano Benčić, cited below, should be interpreted as Umag), Ursaria (Sv. Juraj by Vrsar), and Pullaria (Brijuni). Mountains to the north - the Ćićarija mountain range - and River Raša (flumen Arsia) denote the region's natural borders.
Bibliography on Peutinger's map is extensive and the following is only a brief selection, focusing more on the works dealing with Istria:
Luciano Bosio, “L’Istria nella descrizione della Tabula Peutingeriana,” Atti e memorie della Società istriana di archeologia e storia patria 74 (1974): pp. 17–95.
Luciano Bosio, La Tabula Peutingeriana: Una descrizione pittorica del mondo antico (Rimini 1983).
Patrick Gautier-Dalché, “La trasmissione medievale e rinascimentale della Tabula Peutingeriana,” in Tabula Peutingeriana: Le antiche vie del mondo, ed. Francesco Prontera (Florence 2003), pp. 43-52.
Maria Teresa Lachin and Guido Rosada Rosada, “Le vignette ad aquas nella Tabula Peutingeriana: Il caso di Quaeri in Istria,” Histria Antiqua 10 (2003): pp. 247–54.
Benet Salway, “The Nature and Genesis of the Peutinger Map,” Imago Mundi 57/2 (2005): pp. 119–35.
Richard J. A. Talbert, Rome’s World: The Peutinger Map Reconsidered (Cambridge 2010).
Gaetano Benčić, “Sulla prima menzione di Umago, ovvero sull’isola S[...]omaia della Tabula Peutingeriana,” Atti del Centro di ricerche storiche Rovigno 41 (2011): pp. 367–88.
Tin Turković and Ivan Basić, “Nuove conoscenze sulla Liburnia Tarsaticensis nel contesto dello studio delle fonti geografiche,” Atti del Centro di ricerche storiche Rovigno 41 (2011): pp. 49–102, esp. pp. 50–58.
Emily Albu, The Medieval Peutinger Map: Imperial Roman Revival in a German Empire (Cambridge 2014).
Nicholas Purcell, “Peutinger Table,” in Oxford Classical Dictionary, (Oxford 2018), online.
The Cosmography of the Anonymous of Ravenna draws heavily from Greco-Roman geography and cartography of classical antiquity, most notably Ptolemy and Pliny the Elder.
For example, the geographical tradition in which Istria formed part of Italy stems all the way back to the Greek geographer Strabo and it continued largely unabated throughout the medieval period – see more on that here.
The limits of Italy being the rivers Var to the west and Raša in Istria to the east was recorded by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History:
“Latitudo eius [Italiae] varia est, quadringentorum decem milium inter duo maria Inferum et Superum amnesque Varum atque Arsiam, media autem ferme circa urbem Romam ab ostio Aterni amnis in Hadriaticum mare influentis ad Tiberina ostia CXXXVI, et paulo minus a Castro Novo Hadriatici maris Alsium ad Tuscum aequor, haud ullo in loco CC latitudinem excedens. universae autem ambitus a Varo ad Arsiam |XX|: XLVIIII p. efficit.”
(“The breadth [of Italy] varies, being four hundred and ten miles between the rivers Var and Raša where they flow into the Mediterranean and the Adriatic, but about at the middle, in the neighbourhood of the city of Rome, from the mouth of the river Pescara, which flows into the Adriatic Sea, to the mouths of the Tiber, its breadth is 136 miles, and a little less from Castrum Novum on the Adriatic Sea to Palo on the Tuscan Sea, in no place exceeding a width of 200 miles. The circuit of the entire coast from the Var round to the Raša is 2049 miles.”)
[Latin original: Karl Friedrich Theodor Mayhoff (ed.), C. Plini Secundi Naturalis historiae libri XXXVII (Stuttgart 1996), vol. 1, p. 249; English translation, slightly modified by the editor, in: Pliny, Natural History, trans. Harris Rackham, Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge, MA 1941), vol. 2, p. 34]
Moreover, when describing the Istrian peninsula in one of the subsequent chapters (book 3, chap. 129), Pliny reiterates that Raša is nunc finis Italiae:
“Histria ut paeninsula excurrit. latitudinem eius XL, circuitum CXXV prodidere quidam, item adhaerentis Libruniae et Flanatici sinus, alii CCXXV, alii Liburniae CLXXX. nonnulli in Flanaticum sinum Iapudiam promovere a tergo Histriae CXXX, dein Libruniam CL fecere. Tuditanus, qui domuit Histros, in statua sua ibi inscripsit: AN AQVILEIA AD TITIVM FLVMEN STADIA MM. oppida Histriae civium Romanorum Agida, Parentium, colonia Pola, quae nunc Pietas Iulia, quondam a Colchis condita; abest a Tergeste CV. mox oppidum Nesactium et — nunc finis Italiae — fluvius Arsia. ad Polam ab Ancona traiectus CXX p. est.”
(“Istria projects in the form of a peninsula. Some authorities have given its breadth as 40 miles and its circuit as 125 miles, and the same dimensions for the adjoining territory of Liburnia and the Flanatic Gulf [the gulf of Plomin]; others make it 225 miles, and others give the circuit of Liburnia as 180 miles. Some carry Iapudia, at the back of Istria, as far as the Flanatic Gulf, a distance of 130 miles, and then make the circuit of Liburnia 150 miles. Tuditanus, who conquered the Istrians, inscribed the following statement on his statue there: From Aquileia to the river Keriko 2000 furlongs. Towns in Istria with the Roman citizenship are: Koper, Poreč and the colony of Pula, the present Pietas Iulia, originally founded by the Colchians, and miles from Trieste. Then comes the town of Nezakcij, and the river Raša, now the frontier of Italy. The distance across from Ancona to Pula is 120 miles.”)
[Latin original: Karl Friedrich Theodor Mayhoff (ed.), C. Plini Secundi Naturalis historiae libri XXXVII (Stuttgart 1996), vol. 1, p. 284; English translation, slightly modified by the editor, in: Pliny, Natural History, trans. Harris Rackham, Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge, MA 1941), vol. 2, pp. 95–97]
Thus, the anonymous cosmographer of Ravenna simply builds on the older geographical tradition when he delimits Istria as a region extending from Trieste to Raša - the easternmost region of Italy.
However, the Cosmographer states in chap. IV/37 that "the mountains" divide Italy from the neighboring region of Liburnia. It was already Bernardo Benussi who correctly inferred that the real, natural border between Istria and Librunia - the natural eastern border of Italy - was not the river Raša, "un fiumiciattolo inconcludente", but the imposing Učka mountain range, the "montes" of the Ravennate's Cosmography. Benussi's correctly argued:
“E chi conosce la conformazione orografica dell’Istria, o si abbia dato per lo meno la briga di consultare una carta geografica, non potrà mai supporre che, ponendo la provincia in assetto di guerra, armando le sue milizie provinciali e rinforzando con castella e baluardi i luoghi più minacciati dalle incursioni dei Longobardi, Avari e Sloveni, si scegliesse poi come linea di difesa e quale base delle operazioni militari sul fianco orientale della penisola, un fiumiciattolo inconcludente quale si è l’Arsia, e non quella muraglia di monti che la provvida mano della natura aveva inalzato poco lungi da questo fiume a propugnacolo contro le invasioni nemiche. E vera muraglia di monti è infatti la catena dei Caldiera, che snodandosi dal Montemaggiore alto ben 1396 metri, erta, dirupata, continua per il Bergut (906 m.) il Kremeniak (825 m.) ed il Sissol (833 m.) e va a finire col Calic (712 m.) nel Quarnero ad oriente di Fianona, sempre a picco fra il mare e la bassura di Cepic.”
[Bernardo Benussi, Nel medio evo: Pagine di storia istriana, 2nd ed. Collana degli atti 23 (Rovinj 2004), p. 62].
That the mountains - that is, the Učka mountain range - formed the real political border between Istria, any thus the Kingdom of Italy, and the neighboring Liburnia, from the 8th/9th century onward under the potestas of the dukes/kings of Croatia, is corroborated by the 10th-century work customarily titled De administrando imperio - consult the edition of the relevant passage here.
Although Benussi was correct to point out that Raša remained only a symbolic border, and that the real one was indeed the Učka mountain range, he was ultimately wrong in his second argument: that the borders of Istria moved from the Raša to the river Rječina. On this erroneous interpretation, and the fate of the microregion between the Učka mountain range and the river Rječina, see the editor's comments in the abovementioned edition of De administrando imperio.
The toponyms and hydronyms referring to Istria mentioned by the anonymous cosmographer are the following:
Towns and Cities (the Cosmographers makes no distinction between civitates, the seats of bishops, and mere oppida):
- Albona – Labin (as pertaining to the region of Liburnia)
- Arsia – Raša
- Capris – Koper
- Humago – Umag
- Neapolis – Novigrad
- Nessatio / Nesaciu[m] – Nezakcij
- Parentio / Parentium / Parencium – Poreč
- Piranon / Pirano – Piran
- Pola – Pula
- Ruigno / Ruginio / Revingo – Rovinj
- Sapparis / Siparis – Sipar (north of Umag)
- Silbio – Savudrija (south of Piran)
- Tregeste / Tergesten / Tergeste – Trieste
Rivers:
- Rusano – Rižana
- Argaone – Dragonja
- Nengone – Mirna
- Arsia – Raša
Islands:
- Pullaria – Brijuni
- Ursaria – Sv. Juraj by Vrsar
- Cervaria – Červar Porat, no longer an island
The facsimiles of ms. hereby dubbed B stem from the official web pages of Bibliothèque nationale de France where they are freely available for consultation.
The editor has subsequently inserted red lines simply to denote the parts of the manuscript that are hereby edited.
The facsimiles of ms. hereby dubbed C are freely available for consultation on the official web pages of Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, but the site's copyright prevents us from reposting the images on our servers.
All images remain under the copyright of their respective institutions.