PONTINE MARSHES (Lat. Pomptincs Paludes), a low-lying district, forming the southern part of the Campagna di Roma, and extending in a south-easterly direction from Cisterua to the sea at Terracina. Its greatest length is about 30 m., :Ind its breadth from 4 to 11 miles. It does not reach the sea-coast on the w., being separated from it by a broad sandy tract covered with forest; but, even this barrier partakes to some extent of the character of the marshes themselves, being quite as flat, and largely inter mixed with swamp and lagoon. The Pontine Marshes have undoubtedly been formed by the stagnation of the streams that take their rise in the Volscian hills, and by the accumulation of sand along the shore from Astura to the Circeian promontory, but this formation as undoubtedly belongs to pre-historic ages. There is no reason to believe that the Pontine marshes were, in ancient times, essentially different from what they are at present. Pliny, it is true, on the authority of a contemporary, Muciauus, states that at one period they had contained 24 or even 33 cities; but no confirmation of this state ment is to be found iu any earlier writer, and not a single name of these cities has been preserved. The first attempt to drain the Pontine marshes in ancient times was made in 160 B.C. by the consul, Cornelius Cethegus; but his efforts were only partially suc cessful, for toward the close of the republic, the region had become as marshy as ever. Julius Caesar, among his vast schemes for the improvement of the commonwealth. pro
jetted one for the drainage of this pestilential district, but his murder prevented its com plete realization. Augustus also appears to have done something; but iu the time of Juvenal, it was a mere haunt of robbers. Theodoric, the Goth, likewise tried to reclaim it; but the desolations of succeeding reigns soon reduced it to a hopeless condition, and it continued an uninhabitable region until the close of the middle ages. The first in modern times to resume the labors of the ancients was pope Boniface VIII., who drained the district about Sezzo and Sermonetta by means of a large canal. In 1417, Martin V. made another canal, called the rio Martino, which was duo. to within a mile of the sea; but after his death the project was given up. Several additional efforts were subse quently made; but nothing was really accomplished till the time of pope Pius VI., who, in 1778, commenced to drain the marshes, and completed the drainage in 10 years. The reclamation of the land, however, has been found possible only in part. Though much. is under cultivation and in pasturage, a great portion is hopelessly irreclaimable; and the whole region is so unhealthy, that, in the summer months, the inhabitants are obliged to remove to the neighboring mountaius.—The famous Appian way (q.v.) went through the Pontine marshes; and after being unused for centuries, was re-opened by Pius VI.