Se 
Non-Hellenic Portion of the Latin Language. 505 
double testimony by his statement, “ The Umbrians are a na- 
tion of Italy, but the offspring of the ancient Gauls.” 
The opinion of these learned men that the Umbri were the 
descendants of the Galli Veteres cannot, of course, be wrested to 
prove that some very ancient preoccupation of Italy by Gauls took 
place at a period antecedent to history. The only legitimate 
inference to be drawn from such a statement is, that they were 
convinced by some evidence which has not reached us, that the 
Umbri and “ Galli Veteres” were one and the same race. 
It thus becomes an important question to inquire who these 
“ Galli Veteres” were. They certainly could not be the Cisal- 
pine Gauls who, within the historical period, had crossed the Alps 
and taken possession of the greatest part of the Vale of the Po. 
Originally, as we have already seen, the plains of modern Lom- 
bardy were in the possession of the Umbri. The Tuscans dis- 
possessed them, and, in their turn, were exterminated by the 
transalpine invaders. But Ravenna and its vicinity, and the 
whole of the ancient Venetia, escaped both the Tuscan and Gal- 
lic yoke. The very same position which made them the last re- 
source of the Romans of the western empire, defended these for- 
tresses amongst lagoons and marshes from the assaults of more 
early invaders. According to Srrazo,' Ravenna was built by 
Thessalians, and surrendered to the Umbri. Hence it is called 
by Pxiryy * a Sabine, that is, an Umbrian town. That Venetia 
was not conquered by the Tuscans is evident from the fact, that 
the Veneti were a powerful tribe as late as the year 390 a.c. ; 
for in that year they made so vigorous an incursion into the ter- 
ritories of the Gauls, the invaders and captors of Rome, that, 
according to Potysius,’ Brennus was induced by this powerful 
diversion to grant terms to the Romans besieged in the capitol, 
1 Srrazo, book v. p. 214. 2 [bid. p. 217. 
2 SrRABO.—To dc Agiuwoy OuBgimuy ech xoilomia nada weg xou 7 Pocoverwor, 
3 Book xi. cap. 18. 
