Latin Texts & Translations

The whole of the shores of this sea as far as the Scaldis ^[Note], a river of Germany, is inhabited by nations, the dimensions of whose respective territories it is quite impossible to state, so immensely do the authors differ who have touched upon this subject. The Greek writers and some of our own countrymen have stated the coast of Germany to be 2500 miles in extent, while Agrippa, comprising Rhætia and Noricum in his estimate, makes the length to be 686 ^[Note] miles, and the breadth 148 ^[Note]. (14.) The breadth of Rhætia alone however very nearly exceeds that number of miles, and indeed we ought to state that it was only subjugated at about the period of the death of that general; while as for Germany, the whole of it was not thoroughly known to us for many years after his time. If I may be allowed to form a conjecture, the margin of the coast will be found to be not far short of the estimate of the Greek writers, while the distance in a straight line will nearly correspond with that mentioned by Agrippa.

There are five German races; the Vandili ^[Note], parts of whom

are the Burgundiones ^[Note], the Varini ^[Note], the Carini ^[Note], and the Gutones ^[Note]: the Ingævones, forming a second race, a portion of whom are the Cimbri ^[Note], the Teutoni ^[Note], and the tribes

of the Chauci ^[Note]. The Istævones ^[Note], who join up to the Rhine, and to whom the Cimbri ^[Note] belong, are the third race; while the Hermiones, forming a fourth, dwell in the interior, and include the Suevi ^[Note], the Hermunduri ^[Note], the Chatti ^[Note], and

the Cherusci ^[Note]: the fifth race is that of the Peucini ^[Note], who are also the Basternæ, adjoining the Daci previously mentioned. The more famous rivers that flow into the ocean are the Guttalus ^[Note], the Vistillus or Vistula, the Albis ^[Note], the Visurgis ^[Note], the Amisius ^[Note], the Rhine, and the Mosa ^[Note]. In the interior is the long extent of the Hercynian ^[Note] range, which in grandeur is inferior to none.