The Bituriges are the only foreign people who dwell among the Aquitani without forming a part of them. Their emporium is Burdegala,1413 situated on a creek formed by the outlets of the river. The Loire discharges itself between the Pictones and the Namnetæ.1414 Formerly there was an emporium on this river named Corbilon, mentioned by Polybius when speaking of the fictions of Pytheas. “The Marseillese, [says he,] when interrogated by Scipio1415 at their meeting, had nothing to tell about Britain worth mentioning, nor yet had the people of the Narbonnaise, nor those of Corbilon; notwithstanding these were the two principal cities of the district, Pytheas alone dared to forge so many lies [concerning that island].” Mediolanium1416 is the capital of the Santoni. The part of Aquitaine next the ocean is for the most part sandy and meagre, producing millet, but barren of all other fruits. Here is the gulf which, with that on the coast of Narbonne, forms the isthmus. Both these gulfs1417 go by the name of the Galatic gulf. The former gulf belongs to the Tarbelli.1418 These people possess the richest gold mines; masses of gold as big as the fist can contain, and requiring hardly any purifying, [Pg 284] [CAS. 190] being found in diggings scarcely beneath the surface of the earth, the remainder consisting of dust and lumps, which likewise require but little working. In the interior and mountainous parts [of Aquitaine] the soil is superior; for instance, in the district near the Pyrenees belonging to the Convenæ,1419 which name signifies people assembled from different countries to dwell in one place. Here is the city of Lugdunum,1420 and the hot springs of the Onesii,1421 which are most excellent for drinking. The country of the Auscii1422 likewise is fine.
2. The nations between the Garonne and the Loire annexed to the Aquitani, are the Elui,1423 who commence at the Rhone. After these the Vellæi,1424 who were formerly comprehended amongst the Arverni,1425 but now form a people to themselves. After these Arverni come the Lemovices,1426 and Petrocorii,1427 and after them the Nitiobriges,(1428) the Cadurci,(1428) and the Bituriges,(1428) surnamed Cubi. Along the ocean we meet with the Santoni, and Pictones,1428 the former dwelling by the Garonne, as we have stated, and the latter by the Loire. The Ruteni and the Gabales1429 are in the vicinity of the Narbonnaise. The Petrocorii and Bituriges-Cubi possess excellent iron-works, the Cadurci linen-factories, and the Ruteni silver-mines: the Gabales likewise possess silver-mines. On certain amongst the Aquitani the Romans have conferred the rights of Latin cities; such for instance as the Auscii, and the Convenæ.
3. The Arverni are situated along the Loire. Nemossus, their metropolis, is built on the same river.1430 This river having flowed past Genabum,1431 an emporium of the Carnutes,1432 situated about the middle of its course, discharges itself into the ocean. A great proof of the former power of the Arverni, is the fact of the frequent wars which they sustained against the Romans, sometimes with armies of 200,000 men, and sometimes with double that number, which was the amount of their force when they fought against divus Cæsar under the command of Vercingetorix.1433 Before this they had brought 200,000 men against Maximus Æmilianus, and the same number against Domitius Ænobarbus. Their battles with Cæsar took place, one in Gergovia,1434 a city of the Arverni situated on a lofty mountain, the birth-place of Vercingetorix; the other, near to Alesia,1435 a city of the Mandubii, who border on the Arverni; this city is likewise situated on a high hill, surrounded by mountains, and between two rivers. Here the war was terminated by the capture of their leader. The battle with Maximus Æmilianus was fought near the confluence of the Isère and the Rhone, at the point where the mountains of the Cevennes approach the latter river. That with Domitius was fought lower down at the confluence of the Sulgas1436 and the Rhone. The Arverni extended their dominion as far as Narbonne and the borders of Marseilles, and exercised authority over the nations as far as the Pyrenees, the ocean, and the Rhine. Luerius,1437 the father of Bituitus who fought against Maximus and Domitius, is said to have been so distinguished by his riches and luxury, that to give a proof of his opulence to his friends, he caused himself to be dragged across a plain in a car, whilst he scattered gold and silver coin in every direction for those who followed him to gather up.
CHAPTER III.
1. Next in order after Aquitaine and the Narbonnaise, is that portion [of Gaul] extending as far as the Rhine from [Pg 286]
[CAS. 191] the river Loire, and the Rhone, where it passes by Lugdunum:1438 in its descent from its source. The upper regions of this district from the sources of the Rhine and Rhone, nearly to the middle of the plains, pertain to Lugdunum; the remainder, with the regions next the ocean, is comprised in another division which belongs to the Belgæ. We will describe the two together.
2. Lugdunum itself, situated on1439 a hill, at the confluence of the Saone1440 and the Rhone, belongs to the Romans. It is the most populous city after Narbonne. It carries on a great commerce, and the Roman prefects here coin both gold and silver money. Before this city, at the confluence of the rivers, is situated the temple dedicated by all the Galatæ in common to Cæsar Augustus. The altar is splendid, and has inscribed on it the names of sixty people, and images of them, one for each, and also another great altar.1441
This is the principal city of the nation of the Segusiani who lie between the Rhone and the Doubs.1442 The other nations who extend to the Rhine, are bounded in part by the Doubs, and in part by the Saone. These two rivers, as said before, descend from the Alps, and, falling into one stream, flow into the Rhone. There is likewise another river which has its sources in the Alps, and is named the Seine.1443 It flows parallel with the Rhine, through a nation bearing the same name as itself,1444 and so into the ocean. The Sequani are bounded on the east by the Rhine, and on the opposite side by the Saone. It is from them that the Romans procure the finest salted-pork. Between the Doubs and Saone dwells the nation of the Ædui, who possess the city of Cabyllinum,1445 situated on the Saone and the fortress of Bibracte.1446 The Ædui1447 are said to be related to the Romans, and they were the first to enter into friendship and alliance with them. On the other side of the Saone dwell the Sequani, who have for long been at enmity with the Romans and Ædui, having frequently allied themselves with the Germans in their incursions into Italy. It was then that they proved their strength, for united to them the Germans were powerful, but when separated, weak. As for the Ædui, their alliance with the Romans naturally rendered them the enemies of the Sequani,1448 but the enmity was increased by their contests concerning the river which divides them, each nation claiming the Saone exclusively for themselves, and likewise the tolls on vessels passing. However, at the present time, the whole of it is under the dominion of the Romans.
3. The first of all the nations dwelling on the Rhine are the Helvetii, amongst whom are the sources of that river in Mount Adula,1449 which forms part of the Alps. From this mountain, but in an opposite direction, likewise proceeds the Adda, which flows towards Cisalpine Gaul, and fills lake Larius,1450 near to which stands [the city of] Como; thence it discharges itself into the Po, of which we shall speak afterwards. The Rhine also flows into vast marshes and a great lake,1451 which borders on the Rhæti and Vindelici,1452 who dwell partly in the Alps, and partly beyond the Alps. Asinius says that the length of this river is 6000 stadia, but such is not the case, for taken in a straight line it does not much exceed half that length, and 1000 stadia is quite sufficient to allow for its sinuosities. In fact this river is so rapid that it is difficult to throw bridges across it, although after its descent from the mountains it is borne the remainder of the way through level plains; now how could it