The principal Mountains of Gallia Cisalpina are the Alps, which in various parts of their course received various denominations. Near the mouth of the Varus or Var, at the Western extremity of Liguria, they were called the Alpes Maritimæ, or Maritime Alps. Advancing in a Northern direction, they were called the Alpes Cottiæ, now Mount Genever*. Still North, where they begin to turn to the East, Alpes Graia, now Little St. Bernard. Then Alpes Penninæ (from Pen, a summit); and Alpes Summæ, now Great St. Bernard and St. Gothard. Still Eastward where the Alpes Lepontiæ, which separate Italy from the Helvetii, or Swiss; Alpes Rhæticæ, which separates it from Rhætia and Vindelicia, now in the country of the Grisons; and the Alpes Julia, or Carnica, which separate it from Noricum and Pannonia, now the Tyrol, Carinthia, and Stiria. The Apennines branch off from the Maritime Alps, and run nearly through the middle of the whole of Italy, from North to South.. The Rivers in Gallia Cisalpina are, the Padus, or Po, called also Eridanust, which rises among the Cottian Alps, and runs from West to East, through the middle of the country, till it falls into the Adriatic near Hadria; the Ticinus, or Tesino, which rises not far from the Rhone, among the Lepontine Alps in the country of the Brenni and Genauni, celebrated by Horace as sub * This was once thought the most probable passage of Hannibal into Italy, but recent investigation gives it in favour of the Little St. Bernard. † Proluit insano contorquens vortice sylvas Fluviorum rex Eridanus. Virg. Georg. I. 482. dued by Drusus*, and flows through the Lacus Verbanus, now Lago Maggiore, into the Po, near Ticinum, or Pavia (it was here that the Romans were first defeated by Hannibal, the same year with their defeat at Trebia); the Minciust or Mincio, which flows from the lake Benacius‡ Lago di Garda, celebrated by Virgil, and falls into the Po below Mantua; and the Trebia, already mentioned, which falls into the Po, in Gallia Caspadana, near Placentia. The Athesis§, or Adige, rises in the Rhætian Alps, and flowing by Verona, falls into the Adriatic above the Po. Considerably below Ravenna, and just above the town of Ariminum, or Rimini, is the celebrated stream of the Rubico||, now called Fiumesino, a mountain torrent, or rather one * Drusus Genaunos, impavidum genus, Brennosque veloces - dejecit. + Propter aquam, tardis ingens ubi flexibus errat Mincius. Od. IV. 4. Virg. Georg. III. 14. An mare quod supra memorem, quodque alluit infra, Virg. Georg. III. 158. § Sive Padi ripis Athesin seu propter amœnum Virg. Æn. IX. 680. Fonte cadit modico, parvisque impellitur undis Cæsar ut adversam superato gurgite ripam Lucan. I. 212. of three which separates Italia Propria from Gallia Cisalpina; but which was crossed by Cæsar, when he advanced to make himself master of the Roman Empire; an act equivalent to a declaration of Civil War, as he then entered Italy with his army. The first province in Italia Propria was Etruria, or Tuscia, reaching to the mouth of the Tiber. The Etrurians were called Tyrrheni by the Greeks, and are supposed to have been originally a colony of Mæonians, from Lydia*, in Asia Minor, and were remarkably addicted to auguriest and soothsaying. East of Etruria were the Umbri, a very antient nation, whose coast along the Adriatic was subsequently occupied by the Galli Senones. Their name still remains in Sena Gallica now Senigaglia. Below these was Picenum, celebrated for its applest. Below Umbria were the Sabini, separated from Latium by the river Anio, now the Teverone. On the south of the Tiber and Anio was Latium; and on the South * Hence Horace, addressing Mæcenas, who was descended from the antient Kings of Tuscany:— Non quia, Mæcenas, Lydorum quidquid Etruscos + Hence Virg. Inflavit cum pinguis ebur Tyrrhenus ad aras, + Hence Hor. Picenis cedunt pomis Tiburtia succo. Hor. Sat. 1. 6. Georg. II. 193. Sat. II. bank of the Tiber, just below their junction, is Rome. The river Liris separated Latium from Campania, at the back of which was Samnium and the Hirpini. The principal cities in Etruria were Pisa, near the coast, now Pisa; above it Luca, now Lucca; and Northwest, on the coast, Luna, near Lerici*. East of Pisa is Florentia, now Florence, and Fæsulæ, now Fiesole; and South-east Arretium Vetus, now Arezzo; below which is Cortona, which keeps its name. South of this is the Lacus Trasimenus, now called the Lago di Perugia, from Perugia, antiently Perusia, near its South-eastern extremity. Near this lake was the memorable defeat of the Romans by Hannibal, B. C. 217, A.U.C. 537. South of Florentia is Sena, now Siena; West of which is Volaterræ, now Volterra; and South-east is Clusium on the river Clanis. Below Clusium (Pl. VIII.) is Volsinii, now Bolsena, where Sejanus was born. South-east is Falerii, or Falisci, a small village, now Falari. Among the Falisci was Mons Soracte, mentioned by Horacet. West of Falerii is Tarquinii, from whence the Tarquin family came to Rome; and below Falerii is Veii. West of Veii is Cære, or Agylla, now Cer-Veteri. Northwest of Cære, on the coast, is the port of Centum Cellæ, now Civita Vecchia, the chief port of modern Rome. In Umbria (Pl. VII.), on the shore of the Adriatic, near the Rubicon, is Ariminum, now Rimini; below is *Est operæ pretium Lunæ cognoscere portum. + Vides ut alta stet nive candidum Soracte Ennius. Hor. Od. I. 9. Pisaurum, or Pesaro, Sena Gallica, now Senigaglia, and Ancona, which retains its name. South-west of which and just East of the Lacus Trasimenus, at the foot of the Apennines, is Nuceria, now Nocera. Considerably below it is Spoletium, now Spoleto, where they still show the gate from which Hannibal was repulsed. Somewhat East of Spoletium is Nursia, now Norsia, and East of this, Asculum, now Ascole. The principal Rivers and Lakes in Etruria (Pl. VII.) are, the Arnus, or Arno, which rises in the Apennines, not very far from Florence, and flows into the sea near Pisa; the Tiber, which flows principally from North to South, rising in the Umbrian Apennines, and receives the Clanis, or Chiaca, near Vulsinii (Pl. VIII.); and the Nar*, or Nera, which rises near Nursia, and receiving the Velinus, which rises near the lake Fucinus, flows by Reate, now Reati, near Interamna or Terni, and falls into the Tiber near Narnia and Ocriculum. The river Metaurus, or Metro, celebrated for the defeat of Asdrubal the brother of Hannibal, by the Consuls, Liv. Salinator and Claudius Nerof, A. U. C. 547, B. C. 207, rises in the Umbrian Apennines, (Pl. VII.) and falls into the sea South of Pisaurum. Below the Tiber (Pl. VIII.) was Latium, in which is Ostia, so called from its being the port at the mouth of * Audiit et Triviæ longe lacus, audiit amnis Sulphurea Nar albus aqua. + Quid debeas, O Roma, Neronibus, Testis Metaurum flumen, et Asdrubal Devictus. Virg, En. VII. 516. Hor. Od. IV. 4. |