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. 



