Book of the Place Names in the Acts of the Apostles

Hadrumetum, a city in the Bazatio region of Africa. Hadria, the name of the sea opposite Ravenna, which is entered through the mouths of the river Po, its name taken from the neighboring city of Hadria, which also gave the sea the name Adriatic. Jerusalem, once the metropolis of all Judea, which now, because it was destroyed by Titus and rebuilt with a broader plan by the Emperor Aelius Hadrian, is named Aelia: through whose work it came about that the Holy Places, that is, of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection, but also of the Finding of the Holy Cross, once lying outside the city, are now surrounded by the northern wall of that same city.

Judea, is sometimes called the whole land of the twelve tribes, sometimes only the two tribes which were once called Judah, to distinguish it from Galilee and Samaria, and other regions in the land of promise. And it should be noted among historians that Judea belongs to Palestine, but Galilee and Samaria belong to Phoenicia. Joppa, a maritime town of Palestine in the tribe of Dan: where today rocks are pointed out on the shore, on which Andromeda, chained, is said to have been freed by the aid of Perseus, then her husband. Iconium, a most famous city of Lycaonia, and there is another in Cilicia. Italy, a region and homeland of the Romans, took its name from King Italus; girded by the great sea from the southwest and from the north, the rest is hemmed in by the barriers of the Alps.

There are two provinces of Libya, one Libya Cyrenaica, of which it has been spoken. And "the parts of Libya, which is around Cyrene". This is the first gate of Egypt on the part of Africa: and it gave its name to the Libyan sea: after which comes the Libya of the Ethiopians, reaching as far as the southern Ocean. Lydda, a city of Palestine situated on the shore of the Great Sea, which is called Diospolis. Lycaonia, a province of Asia; and there is a city of the same name in Lesser Phrygia. Lystra, a city of Lycaonia. Lycia, a province of Asia. Lasea, a coastal city of the island of Crete near the place which is called Fair Havens, as Luke himself explains: for which some, corruptly, read "Thalassa."

The Mount of Olives, to the east of Jerusalem, with the torrent Kidron flowing between, where the last footprints of the Lord pressed into the ground are shown even today. And though that same earth is daily taken up by believers, nevertheless the holy footprints, whenever they might vanish, straightway recover their former condition. Finally, when the church, in the middle of which they lie, was built in a round shape and with the most beautiful workmanship, only the very summit, as they report, could by no means be roofed over or vaulted on account of the passage of the Lord's body: but its passage from earth to heaven lies open unenclosed. The Medes, named from Madai the son of Japheth: these regions lie between the river Indus and the river Tigris, from Mount Caucasus as far as the Red Sea: Arachosia, Parthia, Assyria, Persia, and Media; all of which Holy Scripture often calls by the name of Media.

Mesopotamia, a region between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, which is shown by its very Greek name to be situated in the middle of the rivers. From here toward the south is Babylonia, then Kedar, and lastly Arabia the Blessed. Midian, a city near the Arnon and Areopolis, whose ruins alone are now shown, where Moses was in exile with his father-in-law Jethro. Moesia, a province of Asia: now called Aeolis. There is also another of the same name near the river Danube. And there are authors who say that the Mysians, the Phrygians, and the Huns crossed over from Europe, from whom the Mysi, Phryges, and Bithyni in Asia are named. Macedonia, the most noble province of the Greeks, made more noble still by the virtues of Alexander the Great. Mytilene, an island opposite Asia, which is distant from the neighboring mainland five hundred seven thousand paces.

Miletus, a maritime city in Asia, set apart ten stadia from the mouth of the river Meander: where Paul addresses the elders of the Ephesians; there is also an island of no ignoble reputation of the same name in the Aegean or Ionian sea.

Nazareth, a small town in Galilee near Mount Tabor, whence also our Lord Jesus Christ was called the Nazarene: and it has a church at the place where the angel entered to bring the good tidings to the blessed Mary: but also that other, where the Lord was brought up. Neapolis, a city of Caria, which is a province of Asia.

The Parthians are situated between the river Indus, which is on the east, and the river Tigris, which is on the west, as has been said above. Pontus, a region of many peoples beside the Pontic Sea, which separates Asia and Europe: and because of the great inflow of the mouths of the Danube, it is known to be sweeter than the rest. Pamphylia, a province of Asia. Paphos, a maritime city on the island of Cyprus, once famous for the rites of Venus and the songs of poets, which, having fallen through frequent earthquakes, now shows by the mere traces of its ruins what it once was. Perge, a city of the province of Pamphylia. Philippi, a city in the first part of Macedonia. Pisidia, a province of Asia. Patara, a city of the province of Lycia in Asia. Ptolemais, a maritime city in Judea near Mount Carmel, which was formerly named after a certain Ptolemy. There is also another Ptolemais in the province of Pentapolis in Africa, which I have mentioned above.

Puteoli, a colonial city of Campania, also called Ceadicta.

Rome, once mistress of the whole world, so called from the name of its founder Romulus: which, because of its exceptional excellence, most writers preferred to call simply "the City," as if it were the only one. Rhodes, the most noble of the Cyclades islands, and the first from the east, formerly called Ophiussa, on which there was a city of the same name, famous for its bronze colossus of seventy cubits in height: it is distant from the harbor of Asia by twenty thousand paces. Rhegium, a maritime city of Sicily, separated by twenty thousand paces from the promontory of Pelorus: whose Greek name means "separation," because this part of Sicily, once joined to the Bruttian territory of Italy, was soon torn away by the sea flowing between, at a strait of fifteen paces in length, and in width about the width of the Rhegian column, in which strait is the rock Scylla, and likewise Charybdis, a whirling sea, both famous for their savagery.

Samaria, a royal city in Israel, set on the summit of Mount Somer. But also the whole region which lay around it took its name from the city: it lies midway between Judea and Galilee. This was named by Herod, son of Antipater, in honor of Augustus Caesar, by the Greek name Sebaste, that is, Augusta. Shechem, the city of Jacob, now called Neapolis, near the tomb of Joseph, which took its name from the son of Hamor, its king: near which the Lord spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well: where now a church has been built on the side of Mount Gerizim.

Sinai, a mountain in the region of Midian above Arabia in the desert, which by another name is called Horeb. Whence it is said: "And they made a calf in Horeb": though Moses wrote that this was done at Sinai. Sharon, which is interpreted "plain," is a region of Caesarea of Palestine, extending as far as the town of Joppa. And it is today a place fit for pasturing flocks: which, according to the quality of its soil, at Peter's preaching, immediately brought forth the fruit of faith. But also between Mount Tabor and the lake of Tiberias, a region is called Sharon. Sidon, a notable city of Phoenicia, once a boundary of the Canaanites toward the north, situated near the rising of Mount Lebanon, itself also skilled in glass-making. Seleucia, a noble city of Syria, situated on the promontory of Syrian Antioch. Salamis, a city on the island of Cyprus, now called Constantia, which in the time of the emperor Trajan the Jews destroyed, killing all its inhabitants. Samothrace, an island in the Pacasian gulf.

Syria, which in Hebrew is called Aram, is a region between the river Euphrates and the great sea, extending as far as Egypt; it has very great provinces, Commagene, Phoenicia, and Palestine, apart from the Saracens and Nabataeans, whose peoples are twelve. Samos, an island in the Aegean Sea, on which earthenware vessels are said to have first been discovered: whence also "Samian vessels" are so called. Smyrna, a city of the province of Lycia in Asia: of which Luke makes mention thus: "And sailing over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Smyrna of Lycia." For which some copies have: "We came to Lystra, which is in Cilicia." Furthermore Jerome, in his books of Hebrew names, sets down Smyrna, and interprets it "bitter." Salmone, a maritime city of the island of Crete. The Syrtes, sandy places in the great sea, very terrible and to be feared, because they are wont to draw everything to themselves, and those approaching the shallow sea become stuck. These are near the Egyptian sea, and are mingled equally with it.

Syracuse, the chief city of Sicily, under the promontory of Pachynus: for Sicily itself is marked out by three promontories: whence also, from its triangular shape, it was once called Trinacria, and then, from the Sicilian king, called Sicily. The first promontory is called Pelorus, and looks toward the north: to which the city Messana is nearest: and opposite it, from Italy, is the promontory called Cenus, at an interval of twelve stadia. The second is called Pachynus, which faces toward the southeast. The third is called Lilybaeum, having a city of the same name, and it points toward the west.

Tarsus, the chief city of the province of Cilicia, glorious for the Apostle Paul. Tyre, the chief city of Phoenicia in the tribe of Naphtali, about twenty miles from Caesarea Philippi. This was once an island in the deep sea, separated by seven hundred paces: but it was made a mainland by Alexander for the purpose of a siege, by heaping up many mounds across the narrow strait in a short time: whose chief renown consists in shellfish and purple dye. Troas, a maritime city of Asia, also called Antigonia. Thyatira, a city of Lydia, which is a province of Asia, once famous for the temple of Aesculapius: whose citizen was that Lydia, πορφυρόπωλις, that is, a seller of purple, who received the faith of Christ at Philippi. Thessalonica, a city of Macedonia. Theatre, a place taking its name from "spectacle," because in it the standing people, looking on from above, would watch theatrical performances.