BOOK XII. II. 5-iv. 8 



and the legs of our tables made of the same ivory. 

 It is stated that the Gauls, imprisoned as they were 

 by the Alps as by a then insuperable buhvark, first 

 found a motive for overflowing into Italy from the 

 circumstance that a GalHc citizen from Switzerland 

 named HeUco, who had sojourned at Rome on account 

 of his skill as an artificer, had brought with him when 

 he came back some dried figs and grapes and some 

 samples of oil and wine ; and consequently we may 

 pardon them for having sought to obtain these things 

 even by means of war. 



III. But who would not be justifiably surprised to Treesintro- 

 hear that a tree has been procured from another cHme aiZad^e 

 merely for the sake of shade ? This tree is the plane, vi^^ne. 

 which was first imported into the lonian Sea as far as 

 the island of San Domenico to plant over the tomb 

 of Diomede, and which crossed from there to Sicily 

 and was one of the first trees bestowed on Italy, and 

 which has now travelled as far as Belgium and actually 

 occupies soil that pays tribute "■ to Rome, so that the 

 tribes have to pay rent even for shade. The elder 

 Dionysius, the tyrant of Sicily, imported plane-trees 

 to the city of Reggio as a marvel to adorn his palace, 

 on the site where afterwards a gymnasium was built ; 

 and it is found in the authorities that these trees were 

 not able to grow to full size, and that in all Italy 

 there were no others except the 'Spania.''' IV. 

 This took place at about the period of the capture 

 of Rome ; ' and so much honour has since accrued 

 to plane-trees that their growth is encouraged by 

 having wine poured on them, as it has been 

 found that this is of the greatest benefit to the 

 roots, and we have tauglit even trees to be wine- 

 bibbers ! 



7 



