Rhegium

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

(Ῥήλιον, now Reggio)

Rhegium was an ancient Greek colony, mainly of Chalcidians, in the south of Italy. Commanding the southern entrance to the Sicilian Straits, It had great strategic importance, and willingly or un willingly played a part in many wars. For a time it held its own among the leading cities of Magna Graecia, but in revenge for a slighted Offer of friendship it was totally destroyed by Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse (387 b.c.). From this calamity it never quite recovered, but it profited by fidelity to Rome in the Punic Wars and to Augustus in the Civil Wars. Re-peopled by the Emperor, it assumed the name of ‘Rhegium Julium.’ Strabo, in the beginning of our era, speaks of it as ‘tolerably well peopled,’ and as one of three cities founded by the Greeks in Italy-the others were Neapolis and Tarentum-that had not become barbarian, i.e. lost the language and manners of their mother-country (VI. i. 6). Since 134 b.c., it had a further importance as the terminus of the Via Popilia, which branched from the Via Appia at Capua and traversed southern Italy. The actual place of crossing to Messana (now Messina) was, and still is, about 8 miles north of the city, at Columna Rhegina (ἡ Ῥηγίνων στυλίς), now Villa San Giovanni, where the channel is only 5 miles wide.

In view of the destruction of Reggio by earthquake in 1908, when 35,000 out of 40,000 inhabitants perished, Strabo’s words, with their curious mingling of fact and fancy, are Striking. ‘It was called Rhegium, as aeschylus says, because of the convulsion which had taken place in this region; for Sicily wan broken from the continent by Earthquakes.… But now these months [of aetna, the Lipari, and the neighbouring islands] being opened, through which the fire is drawn up, and the ardent masses and water poured out, they say that the land in the neighbourhood of the Sicilian Strait rarely suffers From the effect of earthquakes; but formerly all the passages to the surface being blocked up, the fire which was smouldering beneath the earth, together with the vapour, occasioned terrible earthquakes’ (VI. i. 6).

To indicate the course of St. Paul’s ship from Syracuse to Rhegium, St. Luke, who was evidently impressed by the good seamanship of the crew, uses a nautical term (περιελθόντες) which has perplexed exegetes ( Acts 28:13). Probably it means ‘by tacking.’ This explanation was suggested by J. Smith, who writes, ‘I am inclined to suppose that the wind was north-west, and that they worked to windward’ (The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul4, 1880, p. 156). This translationis now generally adopted in place of ‘we fetched a compass’ (Authorized Version) or ‘we made a circuit’ (Revised Version). The alternative reading in אB-περιελόντες, ‘casting loose’-was probably due to copyists who were not at home in the language of men of the sea. Arriving at Rhegium, the crew had to wait a day for a favourable wind. If the north-west breeze was still blowing, they could not go through the Straits, where there is scarcely enough sea-room for successful tacking; but when the wind veered to south they ran before it to Puteoli, a distance of 180 miles, in little more than a day (28:13).

Literature.-C. Baedeker, southern Italy and sicily12, London, 1896, P. Larissa, Rhegium Chalcidense, Rome, 1905.

James Strahan.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

RHEGIUM (now Reggio ) was an old Greek colony near the south-western extremity of Italy, and close to the point from which there is the shortest passage to Sicily. Messana (modern Messina) on the opposite side is but 6 or 7 miles distant from Rhegium. The whirlpool of Charybdis and the rock of Scylla are in this neighbourhood, and were a terror to the ancient navigators with their small vessels. Rhegium was in consequence a harbour of importance, where favourable winds were awaited. The situation of the city exposed it to changes of government. In the 3rd cent. b.c. Rome entered into a special treaty with it. In NT times the population was mixed Græco-Latin. St. Paul’s ship waited here one day for a favourable south wind to take her to Puteoli.   Acts 28:13 describes how the ship had to tack to get from Syracuse to Rhegium, owing to the changing winds.

A. Souter.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Rhe'gium. (Breach). An Italian town, situated on the Bruttian coast, just at the southern entrance of the Straits of Messina. The name occurs in the account of St. Paul's voyage from Syracuse to Puteoli, after the shipwreck at Malta.  Acts 28:13. By a curious coincidence, the figures on its coin are the very "twin brothers" which gave the name to St. Paul's ship. It was originally a Greek colony; it was miserably destroyed by Dionysius of Syracuse. From Augustus, it received advantages which, combined with its geographical position, made it important throughout the duration of the Roman empire. The modern Reggio is a town of 10,000 inhabitants. Its distance across the straits from Messina is only about six miles.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

A city in the S. of Italy, at the southern entrance of the straits of Messina, opposite Sicily; now Reggio. Here Paul (Sailing From Syracuse) landed on his way to Rome and stopped a day ( Acts 28:13). By curious coincidence the figures on its extant coins are the "twin brothers, Castor and Pollux," from whom Paul's ship was named. The intermediate position of Rhegium between Syracuse and Puteoli, his waiting there for a S. wind to carry the ship through the straits, the run to Puteoli within the 24 hours, all accord with geographical accuracy. The distance of Rhegium across the straits to Messina is about six miles.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

Now Reggio, capital of the province of Calabria Ultra, in the kingdom of Naples, on the coast near the south-west extremity of Italy, eight miles south-east of Messina in Sicily. The ship in which Paul was on his way to Rome touched here,  Acts 28:13,14 . Rhegium was a city of considerable note in ancient times. The modern city was nearly destroyed by an earthquake in 1783, and now contains about eighteen thousand inhabitants.

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Rhegium ( Rç'Ji-Ŭm ), Breach. A city on the coast near the southwestern end of Italy, Paul was detained at this place for a day when on his voyage to Rome.  Acts 28:13. It is now called Rheggio, the capital of Calabria, having about 10,000 inhabitants.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

City on the coast of Italy, near its south-east extremity. The ship in which Paul sailed touched there on the journey to Rome.  Acts 28:13 . It is now called Reggio.

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

A city of Italy mentioned in Paul's travels. ( Acts 28:13)

Holman Bible Dictionary

rhegnym regium   Acts 28:13

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Acts 28:13

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( ῾Ρήγιον , prob. from Ῥήγνυμι , alluding to the Abrupt character of the coast). The mention of this Italian town (which was situated on the Bruttian coast, just at the southern entrance of the Strait of Messina) occurs quite incidentally ( Acts 28:13) in the account of Paul's voyage from Syracuse to Puteoli, after the shipwreck at Malta. But, for two reasons, it is worthy of careful attention. By a curious coincidence the figures on its coins are the very "twin-brothers" which gave the name to Paul's ship. (See Castor And Pollux). Again, the notice of the intermediate position of Rhegium; the waiting there for a southerly wind to carry the ship through the strait; the run to Puteoli with such a wind within the twenty-four hours, are all points of geographical accuracy which help us to realize the narrative. As to the history of the place, it was originally a Greek colony: it was miserably destroyed by Dionysius of Syracuse; from Augustus it received advantages which combined with its geographical position in making it important throughout the duration of the Roman empire. It was prominently associated, in the Middle Ages, with the varied fortunes of the Greek emperors, the Saracens, and the Romans; and still the modern Reggio is a town of 10,000 inhabitants. Its distance across the strait from Messina is only about six miles, and it is well seen from the telegraph station above that Sicilian town. See Conybeare and Howson, St. Paul, 2, 349; Lewin, St. Paul, 2, 217; Smith, Dict. of Class. Geog. s.v.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

rē - ji - um  : This city ( Ῥήγιον , Rhḗgion (  Acts 28:13 ), the modern Reggio di Calabria) was a town situated on the east side of the Sicilian Straits, about 6 miles South of a point opposite Messana (Messina). Originally a colony of Chalcidian Greeks, the place enjoyed great prosperity in the 5th century BC, but was captured and destroyed by Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, in 387 BC, when all the surviving inhabitants were sold into slavery (Diodorus xiv. 106-8, 111, 112). The city never entirely recovered from this blow, althouah it was partially restored by the younaer Dionysius. On the occasion of the invasion of Italy by Pyrrhus, the people of Rhegium had recourse to an alliance with Rome (280 BC) and received 4,000 Campanian troops within their walls, who turned out to be very unruly guests. For, in imitation of a similar band of mercenaries across the strait in Messana, they massacred the male inhabitants and reduced the women to slavery (Polybius i. 7; Orosius iv. 3). They were not punished by the Romans until 270 BC, when the town was restored to those of its former inhabitants who still survived. The people of Rhegium were faithful to their alliance with Rome during the Second Punic War (Livy xxiii. 30; xxiv. 1; xxvi. 12; xxix.6). At the time of the Social War they were incorporated with the Roman state, Rhegium becoming a municipality (Cicero Verr. v. 60; Pro Archia , 3).

The ship in which Paul sailed from Melita to Puteoli encountered unfavorable winds after leaving Syracuse, and reached Rhegium by means of tacking. It waited at Rhegium a day for a south wind which bore it to Puteoli ( Acts 28:13 ), about 180 miles distant, where it probably arrived in about 26 hours.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Rhe´gium, a city on the coast of Italy, near its south western extremity, opposite Messina in Sicily . It is now called Reggio, and is the capital of Calabria.