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POMPTINE MARSHES

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Originally appearing in Volume V22, Page 59 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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POMPTINE MARSHES , a See also:

low See also:tract of See also:land in the See also:province of See also:Rome, See also:Italy, varying in breadth between the Volscian mountains and the See also:sea from lo to 16 m., and extending N.W. to S.E. from See also:Velletri to See also:Terracina (40 m.). In See also:ancient days this low tract was fertile and well-cultivated, and contained several prosperous cities (Suessa Pometia, Ulubrae-perhaps the mod. Cisterna—&c.), but, owing to the dying out of the small proprietors, it had already become unhealthy at the end of the Republican See also:period. Attempts to drain the marshes were made by Appius See also:Claudius in 312 s.e., when he constructed the Via See also:Appia through them (the road having previously followed a devious course at the See also:foot of the Volscian mountains), and at various times during the See also:Roman period. A See also:canal ran through them parallel to the road, and for some See also:reason that is not altogether clear it was used in preference to the road during the Augustan period. See also:Trajan repaired the road, and See also:Theodoric did the same some four See also:hundred years later. But in the See also:middle ages it had fallen into disrepair. Popes See also:Boniface VIII., See also:Martin V., See also:Sixtus V., and See also:Pius VI. all attempted to solve the problem, the last-named reconstructing the road admirably. The difficulty arises from the lack of fall in the See also:soil, some parts no less than so m. from the See also:coast being barely above sea-level, while they are separated from the sea by a See also:series of See also:sand-hills now covered with See also:forest, which rise at some points over See also:loo ft. above sea-level. Springs also rise in the See also:district, and the problem is further complicated by the See also:flood-See also:water and solid See also:matter brought down by the See also:mountain torrents, which choke up the channels made. By a See also:law passed in 1899, the proprietors are See also:bound to arrange for the safe outlet of the water from the mountains, keep the existing canals open, and reclaim the district exposed to inundation, within a period of twenty-four years. The sum of £280,000 has been granted towards the expense by the See also:government.

See T. Berti, Paludi pontine (Rome, 1884) ; R. de la Blanchere, Un Chapitre d'histoire pontine (See also:

Paris, 1889). (T.

End of Article: POMPTINE MARSHES

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