Rhone, among the Lepontine Alps in the country of the Brenni and Genauni, celebrated by Horace as subdued by Drusus*, and flows through the Lacus Verbanus, now Lago Maggiore, into the Po, near the town of Pavia (it was here that the Romans were defeated by Hannibal, the same year with their defeat at Trebia); the Mincius †, or Mincio, which flows from the lake Benacus †, or 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 Cispadana, near Placentia. The Athesis §, or Adige, is a separate river, which 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 Ariminium, or Rimini, is the celebrated stream of the Rubico, now called Fiumesino, a mountain torrent, or rather one of three which separates Italia Propria from Gallia Cis * 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. II. 158. § Sive Padi ripis Athesin seu propter amœnum. Virg. Æn. IX. 680. Fonte cadit modico, parvisque impellitur undis alpina, which it was forbidden to pass with an armed force, under the most dreadful imprecations; but which was crossed by Cæsar, when he advanced to make himself master of the Roman Empire. 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 Tum vires præbebat hyems Cæsar ut adversam superato gurgite ripam Hic ait, hic, pacem temerataque jura relinquo; Te, Fortuna, sequor · Lucan. I. 212. * Hence Horace addressing Mæcenas, who was descended from Non quia, Mæcenas, Lydorum quidquid Etruscos Incoluit fines nemo generosior est te. + Hence Virg. Inflavit cum pinguis ebur Tyrrhenus ad aras, Hor. Sat. 1. 6. Georg. II. 195. Picenum, celebrated for its apples*: 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 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 Hirpini. The principal Cities in Etruria were Pisa, on the coast, now Pisa, and above it Luca, now Lucca; Florentia, now Florence, and South East Arretium, now Arezzo, below which is Clusinium, or Clusii, near to the Lacus Trasimenus, now called the Lago di Perugia, from Perugia, antiently Perusia, at 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 East is Cortona above the Lacus Trasimenus. Below Clusium 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 + Horace. 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. North West * Hence Hor. Picenis cedunt pomis Tiburtia succo. + Vides ut alta stet nive candidum Soracte Sat. II. of Care, on the coast, is the port of Centum Cellæ, now Civita Vecchia, the chief port of modern Rome. În Umbria, on the shore of the Adriatic, near the Rubicon, is Ariminium, now Rimini; below is Pisaurum, or Pesaro, and Sena Gallica, now Senigaglia. Inland, at the foot of the Apennines, is Nuceria, now Nocera. Considerably below it is Spoletum, now Spoleto. On the coast of Picenum is Ancona, which still retains its name. Somewhat inland below is Asculum, now Ascoli, West of which is Nursia, now Norsia, and Southwards Amiternum, West of which is Reate, now Reati. These three last are Sabine towns. The principal Rivers and Lakes in Etruria, 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 receiving the Clanis, or Chiaca, below Clusium; the Nar*, or Nera, which rises near Nursia, and flows into the Tiber near Narnia and Ocriculum; and the Anio, or Teverone, which rises at Treba near Anagnia, and flowing by the town of Tibur now Tivoli, celebrated for its cascades, falls into the Tiber just above Rome. The river Metaurus, or Metro, celebrated for the defeat of Asdrubal, the brother of Hannibal, by the Consuls Liv. Salinator and Claudius Nerot, A. U. C. 547. B. C. 207. rises * Audiit et Triviæ longe lacus, audiit amnis Sulphurea Nar albus aqua. + Quid debeas, O Roma, Neronibus, Virg. Æn. VII. 516. in the Umbrian Apennines, and falls into the sea near Pisaurum. Below the Tiber was Latium, in which is Ostia, so called from its being the port at the mouth of the Tiber, about 20 miles from Rome. Below it is Antium *, now Anzio, and below it Circeii, celebrated in the time of Horace and Juvenal for its oysters†, and fabled as the residence of the enchantress Circe, now called Monte Circello. Below this is Caieta, now Gaeta, celebrated by Virgil as the burial-place of the nurse of Æneas.‡ Southward are the small islands of Pontia, now Ponza, and Pandataria, where Julia the daughter of Augustus was banished. Between Circæi and Caieta, on an eminence, is Anxur §, or Terracina, which latter name it still retains. Here the celebrated Pontina Paludes, or * Here was the famous Temple of Fortune, the subject of the Ode of Horace. O Diva gratum quæ regis Antium. Od. I. 35. + Ostrea Circæis, Miseno oriuntur echini. Hor. Sat. II. 4. - Circæis nata forent, an Lucrinum ad saxum, Rutupinove edita fundo Juvenal. Sat, IV. 140. Tu quoque littoribus nostris, Æneia nutrix, § Impositum saxis late candentibus Anxur. Virg. En. VII. 1. Hor. Sat. I. 5.' |