BOOK III. XII. 109-X111. III 



lakes drain into the river Nera, which from these 

 derives the river Tiber with its sulphm-ous waters, 

 and they are replenished by the Avens which runs 

 down from Monte Fiscello near the Groves of 

 Vacuna and Rieti and loses itself in the lakes in 

 question. In another direction the Teverone rising 

 in Mount Trevi drains into the Tiber three lakes 

 famous for their beauty, froni which Subiaco takes its 

 name. In the district of Rieti is the lake of CutiUa, 

 which is said by Marcus V^arro to be the central 

 point of Italy, and to contain a floating island. 

 Below the Sabine territory lies Latium, on one side 

 of it Picenum, and behind it Umbria, while the 

 ranges of the Apennines fence it in on either side. 



XIII. The fifth region is that of Picenum, which Picenum 

 formerly was very densely populated : 360,000 

 Picentines took the oath of allegiance to Rome." 

 They derived their origin from the Sabines, who had 

 made a vow to celebrate a Holy Spring.* The 

 territory that they took possession of began at the 

 river Aterno, where are now the district and colony 

 of Adria, 6 miles from the sea. Here is the river 

 Vomanus, the territories of Praetutia and Palma, 

 also the New Camp, the river Batinus, Tronto with 

 its river, the only Liburnian settlemcnt left in Italy, 

 the river Albula, Tessuinum, and Helvinum where 

 the region of the Praetutii ends and that of Picenum 

 begins ; the town of Cupra, Porto di Fermo, and 

 above it the colony of Ascoh, the most famous in 

 Picenum. Inland is Novana, and on the coast Cluana, 

 Potentia, Numana founded by the Sicilians, and 

 Ancona, a colony founded by the same people on the 

 promontory of Cunerus just at the elbow of the coast 

 where it bends round, 183 miles from Monte Gargano. 



81 



