Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/288

254 Plint's nattjeal histoet. [Book III. Cselius states that the length of the Alps from the Upper Sea to the Lower is 1000 miles, a distance which Tima- genes shortens by twenty-two. Cornelius Nepos assigns to them a breadth of 100 miles, and T. Livius of 3000 stadia ; but then in different places. For in some localities they exceed 100 miles ; where they divide Glermany, for instance, from Italy ; while in other parts they do not reach seventy, being thus narrowed by the providential dispensation of nature as it were. The breadth of Italy, taken from the river Var at the foot of these mountains, and passing along by the Yada^ Sabatia, the Taurini,'Comum, Brixia, A^erona, Vicetia, Opitergium, Aquileia, Tergeste, Pola, and Arsia, is 745 miles. CHAP. 24. (20.) — THE ALPS, AND THE ALPINE NATIONS. Many nations dwell among the Alps ; but the more remarkable, between Pola and the district of Tergeste, are the Secusses, the Subocrhii, the Catali, the Menocaleni, and near the Carni the people formerly called the Taurisci, but now the Norici. Adjoining to these are the Ehseti and the Yindelici, who are all divided into a multitude of states. It is supposed that the E-hseti are the descendants of the Tus- cans, who were expelled by the Grauls and migrated hither under the command of their chief, whose name was Hhsetus. Turning then to the side of the Alps which fronts Italy, we have the Euganean^ nations enjoying Latin rights, and of whom Cato enumerates thirty-four towns. Among these are the Triumpilini, a people who were sold^ with their terri- tory ; and then the Camuni, and several similar tribes, each of them in the jurisdiction of its neiglibouring municipal town. The same author also considers the Lepontii'* and 1 Now Vado in Liguria, the harbour of Sabbata or Savo. Using the modern names, the Ime thus drawn runs past Vado, Turin, Como, Bres- cia, Yerona, Vicenza, Oderzo, Aquileia, Trieste, Pola, and the Arsa. 2 It is from this people that the group of volcanic hills between Padua and Yerona derive then' present name of CoUi Euganei or the " Euganean Hills." From the Triumpilini and the Camimi, the present Yal Camo- nica and Yal Trompia derive then* names. 3 Probably meaning, that for a sum of money they originally acknow- ledged their subjection to the Roman power. ■* 'l^'lic Lepontii probably dwelt in the modern Yal Leventina and the Yal d'Osula, near Lago Maggiore ; the Salassi in the Yal d'Aosta.