Latin Texts & Translations

Many nations dwell among the Alps; but the more remarkable, between Pola and the district of Tergeste, are the Secusses, the Subocrini, the Catali, the Menocaleni, and near the Carni the people formerly called the Taurisci, but now the Norici. Adjoining to these are the Rhæti and the Vindelici, who are all divided into a multitude of states. It is supposed that the Rhæti are the descendants of the Tuscans, who were expelled by the Gauls and migrated hither under the command of their chief, whose name was Rhætus. Turning then to the side of the Alps which fronts Italy, we have the Euganean ^[Note] nations enjoying Latin rights, and of whom Cato enumerates thirty-four towns. Among these are the Triumpilini, a people who were sold ^[Note] with their territory; and then the Camuni, and several similar tribes, each of them in the jurisdiction of its neighbouring municipal town. The same author also considers the Lepontii ^[Note] and

the Salassi to be of Tauriscan origin, but most other writers, giving a Greek ^[Note] interpretation to their name, consider the Lepontii to have been those of the followers of Hercules who were left behind in consequence of their limbs being frozen by the snow of the Alps. They are also of opinion that the inhabitants of the Grecian Alps are descended from a portion of the Greeks of his army, and that the Euganeans, being sprung from an origin so illustrious, thence took their name ^[Note]. The head of these are the Stœni ^[Note]. The Vennonenses ^[Note] and the Sarunetes ^[Note], peoples of the Rhæti, dwell about the sources of the river Rhenus, while the tribe of the Lepontii, known as the Uberi, dwell in the vicinity of the sources of the lhodanus, in the same district of the Alps. There are also other native tribes here, who have received Latin rights, such as the Octodurenses ^[Note], and their neighbours the Centrones ^[Note], the Cottian ^[Note] states, the Ligurian Vagienni, descended from the Caturiges ^[Note], as also those called Montani ^[Note]; besides numerous nations of the Capillati ^[Note], on the confines of the Ligurian Sea.

It may not be inappropriate in this place to subjoin the inscription now to be seen upon the trophy ^[Note] erected on the Alps, which is to the following effect:—"To the Emperor Cæsar—The son ^[Note] of Cæsar now deified, Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, and emperor fourteen years, in the seventeenth ^[Note] year of his holding the tribuni- tial authority, the Senate and the Roman people, in remembrance that under his command and auspices all the Alpine nations which extended from the upper sea to the lower were reduced to subjection by the Roman people—The Alpine nations so sub- dued were: the Triumpilini, the Camuni, the Ve- nostes ^[Note], the Vennonenses, the Isarci, the Breuni, the Genaunes ^[Note], the Focunates, four nations of the Vindelici, the Consuanetes, the Rucinates, the Licates ^[Note], the Catenates, the Ambisontes, the Ru- gusci, the Suanetes ^[Note], the Calucones, the Brixentes, the Lepontii, the Uberi, the Nantuates, the Seduni, the Varagri, the Salassi, the Acitavones,

the Medulli, the Uceni ^[Note], the Caturiges, the Bri- giani, the Sogiontii, the Brodiontii, the Nemaloni, the Edenates ^[Note], the Esubiani, the Veamini, the Gal- litæ, the Triulatti, the Ecdini, the Vergunni, the Eguituri ^[Note], the Nementuri, the Oratelli, the Nerusi, the Velauni, and the Suetri."

The twelve states of the Cottiani ^[Note] were not included in the list, as they had shown no hostility, nor yet those which had been placed by the Pompeian law under the jurisdiction of the municipal towns.

Such then is Italy, sacred to the gods, such are the nations, such the cities of her peoples; to which we may add, that this is that same Italy, which, when L. Æmilius Paulus ^[Note] and C. Attilius Regulus were Consuls, on hearing of the rising in Gaul, unaided, and without any foreign assistance whatever, without the help even of that portion which lies beyond the Padus, armed 80,000 horse and 700,000 foot. In abundance of metals of every kind. Italy yields to no land whatever; but all search for them has been prohibited by an ancient decree of the Senate, who gave orders thereby that Italy shall be exempted ^[Note] from such treatment.