Paraetonium
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paraetonio Proper-name noun: neuter dative singular, Proper-name noun: neuter ablative singular of Paraetonium
- a seaport town in Northern Africa, between Egypt and the Syrtes, now Marsa Labeit, Plin. 5, 5, 5, § 33; Ov. Am. 2, 13, 7; id. M. 9, 772.—Hence,
- II Păraetŏnĭus, a, um, adj., Paraetonian: portus, Mel. 1, 8, 2.— Subst.: păraetŏnĭum, ii, n., a certain white and pure chalk found near Paraetonium, Paraetonium-white, Plin. 35, 6, 18, § 36; 33, 5, 27, § 90; Vitr. 7, 7.—
- B Transf., Egyptian, African: Paraetonius Nilus, Stat. Th. 5, 12: urbs, i.e. Alexandria, Luc. 10, 9: litus, Egyptian, Claud. B. Gild. 160: serpens, African, Sil. 17, 450.
- 1. N.-Afrikaanse havenstad ten W. v. Alexandrië, nu Matrûh;
- 2. (meton.) kalk uit Paraetonium.
PARAETO´NIUM (Παραιτόνιον, Scyl. p. 44; Strab. 17. p. 799; Pomp. Mela, 1.8.2; Plin. Nat. 5.5; Ptol. 4.5.4; Steph.: B.; Itin. Anton.; Hierocles), a town of Marmarica, which was also called AMMONIA. (Ἀμμωνία, Strab. l. c.) Its celebrity was owing to its spacious harbour, extending to 40 stadia (Strab. l. c.; comp. Diod. 1.31), but which appears to have been difficult to make. (Lucian, Quomodo historic sit, conscribenda, 62.) Paraetonium was 1300 stadia (Strab. l. c.; 1550 stadia,. Stadiasm. § 19) from Alexandreia. From this point Alexander, B.C. 332, set out to visit the oracle of Ammon. (Arrian, Arr. Anab. 4.3.3.) When the world's debatew as decided at Actium, Antonius stopped at Paraetonium, where some Roman troops were stationed under Pinarius for the defence of Aegypt. (Plut. Ant. 70; Flor. 4.11.) The name occurs in Latin poetry. (Ovid, Ov. Met. 9.772, Amores, 2.13. 7; Lucan (Luc. 3.295.) Justinian fortified it as a frontier fortress to protect Aegypt from attacks on the W. (Procop. de Aed. 6.2.) An imperial. coin of the elder Faustina has been assigned to this place, but on insufficient grounds. (Eckhel, vol. 4. p. 116.) When the Aoulad Aly were sovereigns over this district, the site, where there were ancient. remains, retained the name of Baretoun; but after their expulsion by the pasha, of Aegypt, it was called Berek Marsah. (Pacho, Voyage dans la: Marmarique, p. 28.)
[E.B.J](Παραιτόνιον) or Ammonia (Ἀμμωνία). An important city on the northern coast of Africa, belonging politically to Egypt: hence this city on the west and Pelusium on the east are called cornua Aegypti. The adjective Paraetonius is used by the poets in the general sense of Egyptian.