512 Rev. Mr Williams on one Source of the 



to Troy and Asia Minor, to regard themselves as " fratres" and 

 " consanguinei." 



This community of origin produced very marked political 

 sympathies, which were of no small aid to the Romans in extend- 

 ing their empire. In the very romantic account given by Livv 

 of the passage of the Cimminian Ridge by a Fabius, and the 

 defeat of the Etrurians in the vicinity of Perusia, one thing 

 alone appears historical, that at a very remote period a league 

 was concluded between the Romans and Camertian Umbrians, 

 for the sake of mutual protection against the Tuscans. Of this 

 treaty Cicero says, 2 that even in his time it was regarded " sanc- 

 tissimum et aequissimum." From the same speech we learn 

 that there was a similar treaty with the Umbrians of Iguvium. 

 Wars with the Umbrians there were none, and the one battle 

 which preceded their final submission to Rome, was, if we can 

 believe Livy, 3 almost a bloodless one. In the words of Cramer, 4 

 " the Umbri appeared to have offered but little resistance to the 

 Romans, nor is it improbable that this politic people took advan- 

 tage of their differences with the Etruscans, to induce them at 

 least to remain neuter, whilst they were contending with the 

 latter power." Here, also, Cramer's opinion on the question,' 

 partly examined by me, may be advanced, and as he had no hy- 

 pothesis to maintain, great weight ought to be given to his con- 

 clusion. " Zenodotus was of opinion that the Sabines were 

 descended from the Umbri, and although it is customary to re- 

 gard them as belonging to the Oscan race, I see no reason why the 

 latter people, who are very indistinctly classed and defined, 

 should not be considered as descended from the same indigenous 

 stock ; nay, rather when we consider the analogy which is allowed 

 to exist between the several ancient dialects of Italy, and the 

 uniformity of topographical nomenclature, which may be traced 



1 Lib. 9. 36. 2 Oratio pro Balbo. 3 Lib. 9. cap. 4. 



4 Vol. i. 254. 5 Do. 252. 



