Italy, the largest and most
fertile of any with which I am acquainted in all Europe. This
is the district with which we are at present concerned. Col di Tenda. Taken
as a whole, it too forms a triangle, the apex of which is the point
where the Apennines and Alps converge, above
Marseilles, and not far from the coast of the
Sardinian Sea. The northern side of this triangle is formed
by the Alps, extending for 2200 stades; the southern by the
Apennines, extending 3600; and the base is the seaboaole, it too forms a triangle, the apex of which is the point
where the Apennines and Alps converge, above
Marseilles, and not far from the coast of the
Sardinian Sea. The northern side of this triangle is formed
by the Alps, extending for 2200 stades; the southern by the
Apennines, extending 3600; and the base is the seaboard of
the Adriatic, from the town of Sena to the head of the gulf, a
distance of more than 2500 Stades. The total length of the
three sides will thus be nearly 10,000 stades.
Polybius, Histories, book 2, Rivers and Mountains in Northern Italy (search)
he
summits of the Alps, from their rugged character, and the
great depth of eternal snow, are entirely uninhabited. The Apennines. Both
slopes of the Apennines, towards the Tuscan
Sea and towards the plains, are inhabited by
the Ligurians, from abovApennines, towards the Tuscan
Sea and towards the plains, are inhabited by
the Ligurians, from above Marseilles and the Junction with the
Alps to Pisae on the cast, the first city on the west of Etruria,
and inland to Arretium. Next to them come the Etruscans; and
next on both slopes the Umbrians. The distance between the
Apennines and the AdriatApennines and the Adriatic averages about five hundred stades;
and when it leaves the northern plains the chain verges to the
right, and goes entirely through the middle of the rest of Italy, as
far as the Sicilian Sea. The Po. The remaining portion of this triangle,
namel5th July In body of water
it is second to no river in Italy, because the mountain
streams, descending from the Alps and Apennines to the plain,
one and all flow into it on both sides; and its stream is at its
height and beauty about the time 15th Ju
Polybius, Histories, book 3, Tiberius Sempronius Joins Scipio (search)
:
which proved of great service to the Romans; for if they had
pushed on and caught up the Roman baggage, a large number
of the rear-guard would have certainly been killed by the
cavalry in the open plains. But as it was, the greater part of
them got across the River Trebia in time; while those who
were after all too far in the rear to escape, were either killed or
made prisoners by the Carthaginians.
Scipio, however, having crossed the Trebia occupied theScipio's position on the slopes of Apennines, near the source of the Trebia.
first high ground; and having strengthened his
camp with trench and palisade, waited the
arrival of his colleague, Tiberius Sempronius,
and his army; and was taking the greatest pains
to cure his wound, because he was exceedingly
anxious to take part in the coming engagement. Hannibal
pitched his camp about forty stades from him. While the
numerous Celts inhabiting the plains, excited by the good
prospects of the Carthaginians, supplied his army with provisi
Polybius, Histories, book 3, Hannibal Marches Southward (search)
e the enemy's territory,—on the pretence of hatred for
Rome, but in reality from love of booty,—he determined to
break up his camp as soon as possible, and satisfy the desires
of his army. Accordingly as soon as the change of season set
in, by questioning those who were reputed to know the
country best, he ascertained that the other roads leading into
Etruria were long and well known to the enemy, but that the one
which led through the marshes was short, and would bring
them upon Flaminius as a surprise."He crossed the Apennines, not by the ordinary road to Lucca, descending
the valley of the Macra, but, as it appears, by a straighter line down the
valley of the Auser or Serchio."—ARNOLD. This was what suited his
peculiar genius, and he therefore decided to take this route.
But when the report was spread in his army that the general
was going to lead them through some marshes, every soldier
felt alarmed at the idea of the quagmires and deep sloughs
which they would find on this
Polybius, Histories, book 3, Hannibal Goes Through the Marsh (search)
the security of all, and
especially to guard against the cowardice and impatience of
hard labour which characterised the Celts; in order that, if the
difficulty of the route should induce them to turn back, he
might intercept them by means of the cavalry and force them
to proceed. In point of fact, the Iberians and Libyans,
having great powers of endurance and being habituated to such
fatigues, and also because when they marched through them
the marshesThe marshes between the Arno and the Apennines south of Florence. were fresh and untrodden, accomplished their
march with a moderate amount of distress: but the Celts
advanced with great difficulty, because the marshes were now
disturbed and trodden into a deep morass: and being quite
unaccustomed to such painful labours, they bore the fatigue
with anger and impatience; but were hindered from turning
back by the cavalry in their rear. All however suffered
grievously, especially from the impossibility of getting
sleep on a continuous ma
Polybius, Histories, book 3, Hannibal Enters Campania (search)
r armies. But nothing would induce him to agree to
give his enemy a set battle. Minucius discontented. This policy however was by no means approved of by his master
of the horse, Marcus. He joined in the general
verdict, and decried Fabius in every one's hearing, as conducting his command in a cowardly and unenterprising spirit; and
was himself eager to venture upon a decisive engagement.
Meanwhile the Carthaginians, after wasting these districts,Hannibal in Samnium and Apulia.
crossed the Apennines; and descending upon
Samnium, which was rich and had been free
from war for many years past, found themselves in possession of such an abundance of provisions, that
they could get rid of them neither by use nor waste. They
overran also the territory of Beneventum, which was a Roman
colony; and took the town of Venusia, which was unwalled
and richly furnished with every kind of property. All
this time the Romans were following on his rear, keeping
one or two days' march behind him, but neve
Polybius, Histories, book 3, Skirmishes Before Cannae (search)
thaginians having no reserves of any importance,
while certain companies of the legionaries were mixed with the
Roman light-armed, and helped to sustain the battle. Nightfall for the present put an end to a struggle which had not
at all answered to the hopes of the Carthaginians. But next
day Aemilius, not thinking it right to engage, and yet being
unable any longer to lead off his army, encamped with twothirds of it on the banks of the Aufidus, the only river which
flows right through the Apennines,—that chain of mountains
which forms the watershed of all the Italian rivers, which flow
either west to the Tuscan sea, or east to the Hadriatic. This
chain is, I say, pierced by the Aufidus, which rises on the side
of Italy nearest the Tuscan Sea, and is discharged into the
Hadriatic. For the other third of his army he caused a camp
to be made across the river, to the east of the ford, about
ten stades from his own lines, and a little more from those of
the enemy; that these men, being on
whose watchfulness, is
expended in suppers lasting till daybreak.
In these bands are all the gamblers, all the adulterers, all the unclean and shameless
citizens. These boys, so witty and delicate, have learnt not only to love and to be loved,
not only to sing and to dance, but also to brandish daggers and to administer poisons; and
unless they are driven out, unless they die, even should Catiline die, I warn you that the
school of Catiline would exist in the republic. But what do those wretches want? Are they
going to take their wives with them to the camp? how can they do without them, especially in
these nights? and how will they endure the Apennines, and these frosts, and this snow? unless they think that they will
bear the winter more easily because they have been in the habit of dancing naked at their
feasts. O war much to be dreaded, when Catiline is going to have his bodyguard of
prostitutes!
M. Tullius Cicero, For Sestius (ed. C. D. Yonge), chapter 5 (search)
had not been overpowering; if his experience in military affairs had not
been most surprising; and if, above all, Publius Sestius had not cooperated
with him in exciting, encouraging, reproving, and spurring on
Antonius,—winter would have overtaken them before the end of that
war, and Catiline, when he had emerged from those frosts and snows of the
Apennines, and, having the
whole summer before him, had begun to plunder the roads of Italy and the folds of the shepherds,
would never have been destroyed without enormous bloodshed,
and most miserable devastation extending over the whole of Italy.
These then were the feelings which Publius Sestius brought to his tribuneship
that I may forbear to speak of his quaestorship,—and
easy for me to look around
and see where I am going out from, whither I am going, what there is on my right
hand, and on my left. Shall I be able to do the same on the roads of the
Apennines? in which, even if there
should be no ambush, as there easily may be, still my mind will be kept in such
a state of anxiety as not to be able to attend to the duties of an embassy. But
suppose I have escaped all plots against me, and have passed over the Apennines; still I have to encounter a meeting
and conference with Antonius. What place am I to select? If it is outside the
camp, the rest may look to themselves,—I think that death would come
upon me instantly. I know the frenzy of the man; I know his unbridled violence.
The ferocity of his manners and the savageness of his nature is not usuall
