or POSIDONIA, an ancient city of Grecia Magna, now part of the kingdom of Naples. It was founded by one of those colonies from Greece which in the early ages established themselves in Italy; and it flourished before the foundation of Rome itself. It was destroyed by the Goths on the decline of the Roman empire, who in their barbarous zeal for the Christian religion overturned every place of Pagan worship which was exposed to their ravages. Since that time it has been in ruins; and these ruins were unknown till they were discovered in the following manner: "In the year 1755 (says the author of the Antiquities, History, and Views of Posium), an apprentice to a painter at Naples, who was on a visit to his friends at Capaccio, by accident took a walk to the mountains which surround the territory of Posium. The only habitation he perceived was the cottage of a farmer, who cultivated the best part of the ground, and reserved the rest for pasture. The ruins of the ancient city made a part of this view, and particularly struck the eyes of the young painter; who approaching nearer, saw with astonishment walls, towers, gates and temples. Upon his return to Capaccio, he consulted the neighbouring people about the origin of these monuments of antiquity. He could only learn, that this part of the country had been uncultivated and abandoned during their memory; that about ten years before, the farmer, whose habitation he had noticed, established himself there; and that having dug in many places, and searched among the ruins that lay round him, he had found treasures sufficient to enable him to purchase the whole. At the painter's return to Naples, he informed his master of these particulars, whose curiosity was so greatly excited by the description, that he took a journey to the place, and made drawings of the principal views. These were shown to the king of Naples, who ordered the ruins to be cleared, and Posium arose from the obscurity in which it had remained for upwards of 700 years, as little known to the neighbouring inhabitants as to travellers."

Our author gives the following description of it in its present state. It is says he, of an oblong figure, about two miles and a half in circumference. It has four gates, which are opposite to each other. On the key-stone of the arch of the north gate, on the outside, is the figure of Neptune in basso relievo, and within a hippocampus. The walls which still remain are composed of very large cubical stones, and are extremely thick, in some parts 18 feet. That the walls have remained unto this time is owing to the very exact manner in which the stones are fitted to one another (a circumstance observed universally in the masonry of the ancients), and perhaps in some measure to a stalactical concretion which has grown over them. On the walls here and there are placed towers of different heights; those near the gates being much higher and larger than the others, and evidently of modern workmanship. He observes, that from its situation among marshes, bituminous and sulphureous springs, Posium must have been unwholesome; a circumstance mentioned by Strabo, Morboemum cum facit fluvius in paludes diffusus. In such a situation the water must have been bad. Hence the inhabitants were obliged to convey that necessary of life from purer springs by means of aqueducts, of which many vestiges still remain.

The principal monuments of antiquity are a theatre, an amphitheatre, and three temples. The theatre and amphitheatre are much ruined. The first temple is hexastylos,