We discussed Pliny the Elder and his Veneti a few years ago here. But there was a section that preceded the text cited that we did not mention as it, seemingly, did not have anything to do with the Veneti. On closer examination, however, perhaps it is worth bringing it up:

“We must now leave the Euxine to describe the outer portions of Europe. After passing the Riphæan mountains we have now to follow the shores of the Northern Ocean on the left, until we arrive at Gades. In this direction a great number of islands are said to exist that have no name; among which there is one which lies opposite to Scythia, mentioned under the name of Raunonia, and said to be at a distance of the day’s sail from the mainland; and upon which, according to Timæus, amber is thrown up by the waves in the spring season. As to the remaining parts of these shores, they are only known from reports of doubtful authority. With reference to the Septentrional or Northern Ocean; Hecatæus calls it, after we have passed the mouth of the river Parapanisus, where it washes the Scythian shores, the Amalchian sea, the word ‘Amalchian’ signifying in the language of these races, frozen. Philemon again says that it is called Morimarusa or the “Dead Sea” by the Cimbri, as far as the Promontory of Rubeas, beyond which it has the name of the Cronian Sea. Xenophon of Lampsacus tells us that at a distance of three days’ sail from the shores of Scythia, there is an island of immense size called Baltia, which by Pytheas is called Basilia. Some islands called Oönæ are said to be here, the inhabitants of which live on the eggs of birds and oats; and others again upon which human beings are produced with the feet of horses, thence called Hippopodes. Some other islands are also mentioned as those of the Panotii, the people of which have ears of such extraordinary size as to cover the rest of the body, which is otherwise left naked.”

(translation after John Bostock & H.T. Riley (1855) from http://www.perseus.tufts.edu)

Now Baltia is likely the name responsible for the Visigothic dynasty of the Balti and perhaps also for the Baltic Sea. The Cronian Sea is likely the sea around Kurland. The Baltic itself may well be referred to as the Dead Sea by the Cimbri. Which brings us to Raunonia. This island, associated with amber by Pliny, brings to mind Rana or the Suavic name for the island of Rügen whose Suavic occupants were called the Rani and where the temple of Svantovit once stood. Raunonia lies opposite of Scythia, where there is amber and Pliny mentions it immediately before describing what appears to be the rest of the Baltic Sea heading East.

Also noteworthy are Pliny’s Riphaean Mountains which run West-East here with what is described regarding the Baltic coming after one passes over these mountains. This suggests the Sudetes perhaps together with the Carpathians. Strangely, the first Czechs are said to have settled on Mount Říp which is just south of the Sudetes. Now Rügen is not a day’s sail from the mainland – it’s considerably closer – still, this seems a small objection given all the other factors.

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