[1] The most important of these lists are the two Itineraries
belonging to the first half of the 7th century, in the Salzburg
library. One still earlier, but less complete, appears in the
_Notitia Urbis Romae_, under the title _Index Coemeteriorum_. Another
Itinerary, preserved at Einsiedeln, printed by Mabillon, dates from
the latter half of the same century. That found in the works of
William of Malmesbury (Hardy's ed. vol. ii. pp. 539-544) appears to
be copied from it, or both may be from the same source. De Rossi
gives a comparative table of these Itineraries and other similar
lists.
[2] Hieron., _Comment. in Ezech._ lib xx. c. 40. The translation is
Dean Burgon's.
[3] In Rome the three strata are known to geologists as _tufa
litoide_, _tufa granolare_ and _pozzolana_.
[4] Cicero is our authority for the burial of Marius, and for Sulla's
being the first member of the Gens Cornelia whose dead body was burnt
(_De Legg._ ii. 22).
[5] Mommsen's chosen example of an ancient burial-chamber, extending
itself into a catacomb, or gathering subterranean additions round it
till a catacomb was established, is that of the cemetery of St
Domitilla, traditionally identified with a granddaughter of
Vespasian, and the catacomb of Santi Nereo ed Achilleo on the Appian
and Ardeatine way.
[6] Parker's invaluable series of Roman photographs may be seen at
the library of the Victoria and Albert museum, at the Ashmolean
museum and the Bodleian library, Oxford.
[7] _Bulletino di archaeologia cristiana_, November 1864, August
1865. See also _Authorities_, below.
CATAFALQUE (a word of unknown origin, occurring in various forms in many
European languages, meaning a funeral scaffold or temporary stage), a
movable structure of wood sometimes richly decorated, erected
temporarily at funeral ceremonies in a church to receive the coffin or
effigy of the deceased; also an open hearse or funeral car.
CATALANI, ANGELICA (1780-1849), Italian opera-singer, daughter of a
tradesman at Sinigaglia, was educated at the convent of Santa Lucia at
Gubbio, where her magnificent soprano voice, of extraordinary compass
and purity, soon became famous. In 1795 she made her debut on the stage
at Venice, and from that moment every impresario in Europe was anxious
to engage her. For nearly thirty years she sang at all the great houses,
receiving very large fees; her first appearance in London being at the
King's theatre in 1806. She remained in England, a prima donna without a
serious rival, for seven years. Then she was given the management of the
opera in Paris, but this resulted in financial failure, owing to the
incapacity and extravagance of her husband, Captain Valabregue, whom she
married in 1806. But her continental tours continued to be enormously
successful, until she retired in 1828. She settled at Florence in 1830,
where she founded a free singing school for girls; and her charity and
kindness were unbounded. She died of cholera in Paris on the 12th of
June 1849.
CATALEPSY (from Gr. [Greek: katalepsis], a seizure), a term applied to a
nervous affection characterized by the sudden suspension of sensation
and volition, accompanied with a peculiar rigidity of the whole or of
certain muscles of the body. The subjects of catalepsy are in most
instances females of highly nervous temperament. The exciting cause of
an attack is usually mental emotion operating either suddenly, as in the
case of a fright, or more gradually in the way of prolonged depression.
The symptoms presented vary in different cases, and even in the same
individual in different attacks. Sometimes the typical features of the
disease are exhibited in a state of complete insensibility, together
with a statue-like appearance of the body which will retain any attitude
it may be made to assume during the continuance of the attack. In this
condition the whole organic and vital functions appear to be reduced to
the lowest possible limit consistent with life, and to such a degree as
to simulate actual death. At other times considerable mental excitement
will accompany the cataleptic symptoms, and the patient will sing or
utter passionate exclamations during the fit, being all the while quite
unconscious. The attack may be of short duration, passing off within a
few minutes. It may, however, last for many hours, and in some rare
instances persist for several days; and it is conceivable that in such
cases the appearances presented might be mistaken for real death, as is
alleged to have occasionally happened. Catalepsy belongs to the class of
functional nervous disorders (see MUSCLE AND NERVE: _Pathology_) in
which morbid physical and psychical conditions are mixed up. Although it
is said to occur in persons in perfect health, careful inquiry will
usually reveal some departure from the normal state, as is shown by the
greater number of the recorded cases. More particularly is this true of
females, in whom some form of menstrual derangement is generally found
to have preceded the cataleptic affection. Catalepsy is sometimes
associated with epilepsy and with grave forms of mental disease. In
ordinary cases, however, the mental phenomena bear close resemblance to
those witnessed in hysteria. In many of the subjects of catalepsy there
appears to be a remarkable weakness of the will, whereby the tendency to
lapse into the cataleptic state is not resisted but rather in some
measure encouraged, and attacks may thus be induced by the most trivial
circumstances.
CATALOGUE (a Fr. adaptation of the Gr. [Greek: katalogos], a register,
from [Greek: katalegein], to enrol or pick out), a list or enumeration,
generally in alphabetical order, of persons, things, &c., and
particularly of the contents of a museum or library. A _catalogue
raisonnee_ is such a list classified according to subjects or on some
other basis, with short explanations and notes. (See also articles
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND BIBLIOLOGY, and LIBRARIES.)
CATALONIA (_Cataluna_), a captaincy-general, and formerly a province of
Spain, formerly also a principality of the crown of Aragon; bounded on
the N. by the Pyrenees, W. by Aragon, S. by Valencia, and E. by the
Mediterranean Sea. Pop. (1900) 1,966,382; area, 12,427 sq. m. The
triangular territory of Catalonia forms the north-eastern corner of the
Iberian Peninsula. A full account of the physical features, and of the
modern development of commerce, communications, &c., in this area is
given in the articles on the four provinces Barcelona, Gerona, Lerida
and Tarragona, into which Catalonia was divided in 1833.
The coast, which is partly sandy, partly rocky, extends about 240 m.;
its chief harbours are those of the capital, Barcelona, of Mataro, of
Rosas and of Tarragona. The surface is much broken by spurs of the
Pyrenees, the direction of which is generally south. Running south-west
to north-east, and united on the north with one of the offsets of the
Pyrenees, is the range of the Sierra Llena, which bisects Catalonia, and
forms its central watershed. The principal rivers are the Ter, the
Llobregat, and the Ebro (q.v.), which all run into the Mediterranean.
None of them is navigable. The climate, in spite of frequent mists and
rains, sudden changes of temperature, and occasional great mid-day heat,
is healthy and favourable to vegetation. The dwarf-palm, orange, lime,
and olive grow in the warmer tracts; and on the higher grounds the
thorn-apple, pomegranate, myrtle, esparto and heaths flourish. There is
much woodland, but meadows and pastures are rare. Maize, millet, rye,
flax, liquorice and fruits of all sorts--especially nuts, almonds,
oranges, figs, walnuts and chestnuts--are produced. Wheat sufficient for
one-fourth of the population is grown, and the vine is extensively
cultivated. Few cattle, but numbers of sheep, goats and swine are
reared. Game is plentiful, and the fisheries on the coast are excellent.
The wines are for the most part rough and strong, though some are very
good, especially when matured. They are much used to adulterate those of
Oporto, or, after undergoing the blending operation termed _compage_,
are passed off as Bordeaux wines in France. The best of them,
_priorato_, is chiefly known in England, under the disguise of second or
third-rate port; it was much used in the military hospitals of America
during the Civil War.
The Catalonians are a frugal, sharp-witted, and industrious people,
having much national pride, and a strong revolutionary spirit. They are
distinct in origin from the other inhabitants of Spain, from whom they
differ in their dialect and costume. In their great energy and their
love of enterprise they resemble the Basques. Irrigation, careful
husbandry and railroad communications have much developed the resources
of their country, in themselves excellent; and there are many
manufacturing towns and industrial establishments.
Catalonia was one of the first of the Roman possessions in Spain, and
formed the north-eastern portion of Hispania Tarraconensis. About 470 it
was occupied by the Alans and Goths. It was conquered by the Moors in
712, but these invaders were in turn dispossessed by the Spaniards and
the troops of Charlemagne in 788. Catalonia was subsequently ruled by
French counts, who soon, however, made themselves independent of France.
By the marriage of Count Raymond Berenger IV. of Barcelona with
Petronilla of Aragon, Catalonia became annexed to Aragon; but this union
was frequently severed. In 1640, when Philip IV. attempted to deprive
Catalonia of its rights and privileges, it gave itself up to Louis XIII.
of France. It was restored to Spain in 1659, and was once more occupied
by the French from 1694 to 1697. Under Philip V. Catalonia, in 1714, was
deprived of its cortes and liberties. From 1808 to 1813 it was held by
France. It was the scene of civil war in 1823, and of important
revolutionary operations in the Carlist wars.
The history and literature of Catalonia have been closely studied, and
in many cases the results of research are published in the Catalan
language. See _Cataluna, sus monumentos y artes, su naturaleza e
historia_ (2 vols. of the illustrated series _Espana_), by P.
Pifferrer, F. Pi Margall, and A.A. Pijoan (Barcelona, 1884); _Historia
de Cataluna_, by V. Balaguer (11 vols., Madrid, 1886, &c.); _Historia
de Cataluna_, by A. Bori y Fontesta (Barcelona, 1898); _Origines
historicos de Cataluna_, by J. Balari y Jovany (Barcelona, 1899);
_Coleccio dels monografias de Catalunya_, by J. Reig y Vilardell
(Barcelona, 1890); _Historia del derecho en Catalonia, Mallorca y
Valencia_, by B. Oliver (Madrid, 1876-1880); and _Antigua marina
catalana_, by F. de Bofarull y Sans (Barcelona, 1898). The _Revista
catalana_ (Catalan Review), published at Barcelona from 1889, contains
many valuable papers on local affairs. See also SPAIN: sections
_Language, Literature_ and _History_, and BARCELONA.
CATALPA, in botany, a genus belonging to the family _Bignoniaceae_ and
containing about ten species in America and eastern Asia. The best known
is _Catalpa bignonioides_, a native of the eastern United States which
is often cultivated in parks and gardens. It is a stately tree with
large heart-shaped pointed leaves and panicles of white bell-shaped
flowers streaked with yellow and brown purple.
CATALYSIS (from the Gr. [Greek: kata], down, and [Greek: luein], to
loosen), in chemistry, the name given to chemical actions brought about
by a substance, termed the "catalyst," which is recovered unchanged
after the action. The term was introduced by Berzelius, who first
studied such reactions. It is convenient to divide catalytic actions
into two groups:--(1) when the catalyst first combines with one of the
reaction components to form a compound which immediately reacts with the
other components, the catalyst being simultaneously liberated, and free
to react with more of the undecomposed first component; and (2), when
the catalyst apparently reacts by mere contact. The theory of catalysis
is treated under CHEMICAL ACTION; in this article mention will be made
of some of the more interesting examples.
A familiar instance of a catalytic action is witnessed when a mixture
of potassium chlorate and manganese dioxide is heated to 350 deg.,
oxygen being steadily liberated, and the manganese dioxide being
unchanged at the end of the reaction. The action may be explained as
follows:--part of the chlorate reacts with the manganese dioxide to form
potassium permanganate, chlorine and oxygen, the chlorine subsequently
reacting with the permanganate to produce manganese dioxide, potassium
chloride and oxygen, thus
2KClO3 + 2MnO2 = 2KMnO4 + Cl2 + O2 = 2KCl + 2MnO2 + 3O2.
This explanation is supported by the facts that traces of chlorine are
present in the gas, and the pink permanganate can be recognized when
little dioxide is used. Other oxides bring about the same decomposition
at temperatures below that at which the chlorate yields oxygen when
heated alone; but since such substances as kaolin, platinum black and
some other finely powdered compounds exercise the same effect, it
follows that the explanation given above is not quite general. Another
example is Deacon's process for the manufacture of chlorine by passing
hydrochloric acid gas mixed with air over heated bricks which had been
previously impregnated with a copper sulphate solution. The nitrous
gases employed in the ordinary chamber process of manufacturing
sulphuric acid also act catalytically. Mention may be made of the part
played by water vapour in conditioning many chemical reactions. Thus
sodium will not react with dry chlorine or dry oxygen; carbon, sulphur
and phosphorus will not burn in perfectly dry oxygen, neither does
nitric oxide give red fumes of the peroxide. In organic chemistry many
catalytic actions are met with. In the class of reaction known as
"condensations," it may be found that the course of the reaction is
largely dependent upon the nature of some substance which acts
catalytically. One of the most important is the Friedel and Craft's
reaction, in which an aromatic compound combines with an alkyl haloid in
the presence of aluminium, zinc or ferric chloride. It seems in this, as
in other cases, that additional compounds are first formed which
subsequently react with the re-formation of the catalyst. The formation
of benzoin from benzaldehyde in the presence of potassium cyanide is
another example; this action has been investigated by G. Bredig and
Stern (_Zeit. Elektrochem._, 1904, 10, p. 582).
The second class of catalytic actions, viz. those occasioned by the
presence of a metal or some other substance which undergoes no change,
is of especial interest, and has received much attention. The
accelerating influence of a clean platinum plate on the rate of
combination of hydrogen and oxygen was studied by Faraday. He found that
with the pure gases the velocity of reaction increased until the mixture
exploded. The presence of minute quantities of carbon monoxide, carbon
disulphide, sulphuretted hydrogen and hydrochloric acid inhibited the
action; in the case of the first two gases, there is no alteration of
the platinum surface, since the plate brings about combination when
removed to an atmosphere of pure hydrogen and oxygen; with the last two
gases, however, the surface is altered, since the plate will not
occasion the combination when placed in the pure gases. M. Bodenstein
(_Zeit. phys. Chem._, 1904, 46, p. 725) showed that combination occurs
with measurable velocity at ordinary temperatures in the presence of
compact platinum. More energetic combination is observed if the metal be
finely divided, as, for instance, by immersing asbestos fibres in a
solution of platinum chloride and strongly heating. The "spongy"
platinum so formed brings about the combination of ammonia and oxygen to
form water and nitric acid, of nitric oxide and hydrogen to form ammonia
(see German Patent, 1905, 157,287), and of sulphur dioxide and oxygen to
form sulphur trioxide. The last reaction, which receives commercial
application in the contact process of sulphuric acid manufacture, was
studied by M. Bodenstein and W. Pohl (_Zeit. Elektrochem._, 1905, 11, p.
373), who found that the equilibrium followed the law of mass-action
(see also F. W. Kuster, _Zeit. anorg. Chem._, 1904, 42, p. 453, R.
Lucas, _Zeit. Elektrochem._, 1905, 11, p. 457). Other metals, such as
nickel, iron, &c., can also react as catalysts. The use of finely
divided nickel (obtained by reducing the oxide in a current of pure
hydrogen at a temperature of 350 deg.) has been carefully studied by P.
Sabatier and J.B. Senderens; a summary of their results is given in the
_Ann. Chim. Phys._, 1905 (viii.) 4, pp. 319-488. Of special interest is
the condensation of acetylene. If this gas mixed with hydrogen be passed
over the reduced nickel in the cold, the temperature may rise to as high
as 150 deg., the acetylene disappearing and becoming replaced by a
substance like petroleum. If the nickel be maintained at 200 deg., and
the gases circulated for twenty-eight hours, a product, condensible to a
yellow liquid having a beautiful fluorescence and boiling at 45 deg., is
obtained. This substance closely resembles ordinary Pennsylvanian
petroleum. If acetylene be passed alone over nickel heated to 200
deg.-300 deg., a mixture, boiling at 60 deg.-70 deg. and having a green
colour by diffused and a red by transmitted light, was obtained. This
substance closely resembles Caucasian petroleum. The decomposition of
carbon monoxide according to the reaction 2CO <=> C + CO2 is purely
catalytic in the presence of nickel and cobalt, and also in the presence
of iron, so long as the amount of carbon dioxide present does not exceed
a certain amount (R. Schenck and W. Heller, _Ber._, 1905, 38, pp. 2132,
2139). It is of interest that finely divided aluminium and magnesium
decompose methane, ethane, and ethylene into carbon and hydrogen in the
same way as nickel. Charcoal at 350 deg. also reacts catalytically; for
example, Senderens found that ethyl alcohol was decomposed by animal
charcoal into methane, ethylene, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and a little
carbon dioxide, and propyl alcohol gave propylene, ethane, carbon
monoxide and hydrogen, while G. Lemoine obtained from ethyl alcohol and
wood charcoal a mixture of acetaldehyde and hydrogen.
CATAMARAN (a Tamil word, from _catta_, to tie, and _maram_ wood), a
surf-boat or raft used by the natives of Madras and along the Coromandel
Coast in India. It is usually made of three tree trunks lashed together,
the centre trunk being the largest and longest, and having one end bent
upward to form a kind of prow. Catamarans of a larger size are in use in
the West Indies and South America. The name is also given to two boats
lashed together. Apparently through an erroneous connexion with cat, the
name has been applied to a noisy scolding woman.
CATAMARCA, an Andean province of the Argentine Republic, lying W. of
Santiago del Estero and Tucuman and extending to the Chilean frontier,
with Los Andes and Salta on the N., Cordoba on the S.E., and Rioja on
the S. Pop. (1895) 90,161; (1904, estimate) 103,082; area, 47,531 sq. m.
The surface of the province is extremely broken, the Andes forming its
western boundary, and the Aconquija, Ancaste, Ambato, Gulampaja and
other ranges traversing it from north to south. It is composed very
largely of high plateaus with a general slope southward broken by a few
fertile valleys. The greater part of the province is arid and barren,
being sheltered from the moist, eastern winds by the high mountain
barriers of Aconquija and Ancaste. The rivers are small, and some of
them are lost in the barren, sandy wastes. Others, especially in the
foothills of the high sierras, are utilized to irrigate the fertile
valleys. The climate of some of the low, sheltered valleys is extremely
hot and unhealthy, but on the open plateaus it is peculiarly dry and
bracing and is probably beneficial in the treatment of pulmonary
diseases. The mineral resources of the province include gold, silver,
copper, lead, nickel, iron, coal and malachite, but of these only copper
and silver are mined, and these chiefly in the Andalgala district. Salt
deposits also exist, but are worked only to a limited extent. Cereals,
alfalfa and fruit are grown. Large numbers of cattle, fattened in the
alfalfa fields of Pucara, Tinogasta and Copacabana, are driven into
northern Chile across the San Francisco pass (13,124 ft. above sea
level) and mules are bred for the Bolivian market. Wine of an excellent
quality is produced and exported. Tanning leather is another industry of
the province, some of the trees growing in the Catamarca forests being
rich in tannin. Catamarca is traversed by the Northern Central railway
between Cordoba and the city of Catamarca, its capital, which passes
around the southern extremity of the Sierra de Ancaste and makes a long
detour to Chumbicha, near the Rioja frontier. The more important towns,
after Catamarca, the capital, are Andalgala and Tinogasta with
populations (estimated, 1904) of 5000 to 6000 each. Belen is the oldest
Spanish settlement in the province and was founded in 1550, being called
Barco at first. The population is largely mixed with Indian blood.
CATAMARCA (_San Fernando de Catamarca_), capital of the above province
on the Rio del Valle de Catamarca, 230 m. (318 m. by rail) N.N.W. of
Cordoba. Pop. (1895) 7397; (1905, estimate) 8000, with a large
percentage of mestizos. Catamarca is connected by railways with Rioja
and Patquia and with Cordoba. The city stands in a narrow, picturesque
valley at the foot of the Sierra de Ambato, 1772 ft. above sea level.
The valley is highly fertile, partially wooded, and produces fruit in
abundance, wine and some cereals. In the city are flour mills and
tanneries, and among its exports are leather, fruit, wine, flour, and a
curious embroidery for which the women of Catamarca have long been
famous. There is a fine church, 220 by 90 ft., and a national college
occupies the old Merced convent. The alameda is one of the prettiest in
the Argentine Republic, having a reservoir of two acres surrounded by
shrubbery and walks. Catamarca was founded in 1685 by Fernando de
Mendoza because the town of Chacra, the former provincial capital, a few
miles north of Catamarca, had been found unhealthy and subject to
inundations. Previous to the selection of Chacra as the provincial
capital, the seat of government was at San Juan de Londres, founded in
1558 and named after the capital of England by order of Philip II. in
honour of his marriage with Queen Mary. The arid surroundings of Londres
led to its partial abandonment and it is now a mere village. Cholla, a
suburb of Catamarca, is inhabited wholly by Calchaqui Indians, a remnant
of the original inhabitants of this region.
CATANIA (Gr. _Katane_, Rom. _Catina_[1]), a city and episcopal see of
Sicily, the chief town of the province of Catania, on the east coast, 59
m. by rail S. of Messina, and 151 m. by rail S.E. of Palermo (102 m.
direct). Pop. (1881) 100,417; (1905) 157,722. The principal buildings
are handsome, and the main streets, meeting in the Piazzo del Duomo, are
fine. The cathedral of S. Agatha, containing the relics of the saint,
retains its three original Norman apses (1091), but is otherwise a large
baroque edifice. The monument of Don Ferrando d'Acunea, a Spanish
viceroy of Sicily, is a fine early Renaissance work (1494). In the west
portion of the town is the huge Benedictine abbey of S. Nicola (now
suppressed), the buildings of which occupy an area of about 21 acres and
contain the museum, a library, observatory, &c. The church, dating, like
the rest of the buildings, from 1693-1735, is the largest in Sicily, and
the organ, built in 1760 by Donato del Piano, with 72 stops and 2916
pipes, is very fine. The university, founded in 1444, has regained some
of its former importance. To the south near the harbour is the massive
Castell' Ursino, erected in 1232 by Frederick II. Remains of several
ancient buildings exist, belonging in the main to the Roman period. The
theatre, covered by a stream of lava, and built partly of small
rectangular blocks of the same material, though in the main of concrete,
has been superimposed upon the Greek building, some foundations of
which, in calcareous stone, of which the seats are also made, still
exist. It is 106 yds. in diameter, and is estimated to have accommodated
7000 spectators. Close to it are the remains of the so-called Odeum, of
similar plan to the theatre but without a stage, and to the north is the
church of S. Maria Rotonda, originally a Roman domed structure, perhaps
part of a bath. To the north, in the Piazza Stesicoro, is the
amphitheatre, a considerable portion of which has been uncovered,
including the two corridors which ran round the whole building and gave
access to the seats, while a part of the arcades of the exterior has
been excavated and left open; the pillars are made of blocks of lava,
and the arches of brick. The external diameters of the amphitheatre are
410 and 348 ft., while the corresponding diameters of the arena are 233
and 167 ft. It is thus the third largest Roman amphitheatre known, being
surpassed only by that at Verona and the Colosseum. Remains of many
other Roman buildings also exist beneath the modern town, among the best
preserved of which may be noted the public baths (_Thermae Achilleae_)
under the cathedral, and those under the church of S. Maria dell'
Indirizzo. The number of baths is remarkable, and gives some idea of the
luxury of the place in Roman times. Their excellent preservation is
accounted for by their burial under the lava. The majority were
excavated by Prince Ignazio Biscari (1719-1786), who formed an important
private collection of antiquities. Of the ancient city walls no
authenticated remains exist.
Catania has a considerable export trade in sulphur, pumice stone,
asphalt, oranges and lemons, almonds, filberts, cereals, wine (the total
production of wine in the province amounted to 28,600,000 gallons in
1905) and oil. The total value of exports in 1905 was L1,647,075, and of
imports L1,326,055, the latter including notably coal, almost entirely
from the United Kingdom, and wheat, from Russian ports. The harbour is a
good one, and has been considerably enlarged since 1872; L128,000 was
voted in 1905 towards the completion of the harbour works by the Italian
government. Sulphide of carbon is produced here; and there are large
dyeworks, and a factory for making bed-stuffing from seaweed.
The ancient Catina was founded in 729 B.C. by colonists from Naxos,
perhaps on the site of an earlier Sicel settlement--the name is entirely
un-Greek, and may be derived from [Greek: katinon], which in the Sicel
language, as _catinum_ in Latin, meant a basin, and would thus be
descriptive of the situation of the town. Charondas, a citizen of
Catina, is famous as its lawgiver, but his date and his birthplace are
alike uncertain; the fragments preserved of his laws show that they
belong to a somewhat primitive period. The poet Stesichorus of Himera
died here. Very little is heard of Catina in history until 476 B.C.,
when Hiero I. removed its inhabitants to Leontini, repeopled it with
5000 Syracusans and 5000 Peloponnesians, and changed its name to Aetna.
In 461 B.C., however, with the help of Ducetius and the Syracusans, the
former inhabitants recovered possession of their city and revived the
old name. Catina was, however, an ally of Athens during the Syracusan
expedition (415-413 B.C.), and served as the Athenian base of operations
in the early part of the war. In 403 B.C. it was taken by Dionysius of
Syracuse, who plundered the city, sold the inhabitants into slavery and
replaced them with Campanian mercenaries. In the First Punic War it was
one of the first cities of Sicily to be taken by the Romans (263 B.C.).
Marcellus constructed a gymnasium here out of the booty of Syracuse. In
123 B.C. there was an eruption of Etna so violent that the tithe on the
territory of Catina payable to Rome was remitted for ten years. It
appears to have been a flourishing city in the ist century B.C., but to
have suffered from the ravages of Sextus Pompeius. It became a Roman
_colonia_ under Augustus, and it is from this period that the fertile
plain, hitherto called the plain of Leontini, begins to be called the
plain of Catina. It seems to have been at this time the most important
city in the island, to judge from the language of Strabo and the number
of inscriptions found there. In A.D. 251 a lava stream threatened the
town and entered the amphitheatre, which in the time of Theodoric had
fallen into ruins, as is clear from the fact that he permitted the use
of its fallen stones to build the city wall. It was recovered by
Belisarius in 535, sacked by the Saracens in 902 and taken by the
Normans. The latter founded the cathedral; but the town was almost
entirely destroyed by earthquake in 1170, and devastated by Henry VI. in
1197. It became the usual residence of the Aragonese viceroys of the
13th and 14th centuries. In 1669 an eruption of Etna partly filled up
the harbour, but spared the town, which was, however, almost entirely
destroyed by the earthquake of 1693. Since that catastrophe it has been
rebuilt, and has not further suffered from its proximity to Etna.