PONTINE MARSHES (Lat. Pomptintr Attacks). A low-lying district, forming the southern part of the Camp:1pm di Roma (q.v.), and extending in a southeasterly direction from Cisterna to the sea at Terracina. Its greatest length is about thirty-one miles, and its breadth from five to eight miles. It does not reach the seacoast on the west, 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 intermixed 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 Cireeian promontory, but this formation undoubtedly belongs to prehistoric ages. The first attempt to drain the I'ontine _Marshes in ancient times was made in B.C. 160 by the consul Cornelius C'ethegus; but his ef forts were only partially successful. Julius C:esar projected the drainage of this pestilential district, hut his murder prevented the complete realization of his project. Augustus also appears to have done something; hut in the time of Juve nal it was a mere haunt of robbers. Theodoric
the Goth likewise tried to reclaim it; but the des olations of succeeding reigns soon reduced it to a hopeless condition, and it remained an uninhabitable region. The first in modern times to resume the labors of the ancients was Pope Boniface VIII., who drained the district about Sezze and Sermoneta by means of a large canal. Several subsequent efforts were made, but nothing was really accomplished till the time of Pope Pius VI., who, in 1778, COM menced to drain the marshes. and completed the drainage in ten 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 ir reclaimable, and the whole region is so un healthy that during the summer months the inhabitants are obliged to remove to the neigh boring mountains. Con+ult: Prony. Descrip tion. hydrographique et historique des Marais /routine (Paris. 1823) ; Pm' la Blanehere, La ma laria de Rome et le drainage antique (ib., 1SS4) Berti, Le Paludi Pontiac (Rome, 1884) ; Donal, Le Paludi Pontine cd it loro proseiaga motto (ib., 1887).