Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/225

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Chap. 9.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTEIES, ETC. 191 Crustumerium' and Caletra^ retain the names of the ancient towns. CHAP. 9. — THE FIEST EEGIOX OF ITALY* ; THE TIBER ; EOME. The Tiber or Tiberis, formerly called Thybri.s, and pre- viously Albula, flows down from nearly the central part of the chain of the Apenuinen, in the territory of the Arretini. It is at first small, and only navigable by means of sluices, in which the water is dammed up and then discharged, in the game manner as the Timia'^ and the Glanis, which flow into it ; for which purpose it is found necessary to collect the water for nine days, unless there should happen to be a fall of rain. And even then, the Tiber, by reason of its rugged and uneven cliannel, is really more suitable for navigation by rafts than by vessels, for any great distance. It winds along for a course of 150 miles, passing not far from Tifernum^', Perusia, and Ocriculum^, and dividing Etruria from the Umbri and the Sabiid'-*, and then, at a distance of less than sixteen finsible site. The new city was the birth-place of Sejanus, the worthless lavoiunte of Tiberius. Of the ancient city there are scarcely any remains. ' Called also Crusturneria, Cru.stumiuni, and Crustuniinium. It was a niy of Latium on the borders of the Sabine country, and was subdued by J{oniulu«, though it afterwards appears as independent in the tirce of Tarquinius Priscus. The territory was noted for its fertility. The exact site of the city is unknown ; a place called Marcigliana Vecchia, about nine miles from Rome, seems the most probable. ^ The site of Caletra is quite unknown. It was situate at some point iji the present valley of the Albegna. •* The First Region extended from the Tiber to the Gulf of Salemum, bring bounded in the interior by the Apennines. It consisted of ancient Latium and Campania, comprising the modem Campagna di Roma, and the provinces of the kingdom of Naples. ^ Livy, B. i. c. 3, and OvifL, Fasti, B. iii. 1. 389, inform us that the name of Albula was clianged into TiberLs in consequence of king Tiberinua biiiig accidentally drowned in it. £• Still known by that name. The Glanis is called la Chiana. '"' According to U'Anville, now known as Citta di Castello. 7 A municipal town of Umbria, situate near the confluence of the rivers !Nar and Tiber, and on the Flaminian Way. There are the ruins of an aqueduct, an amphitheatre, and some temples, now the modem Ot ricoli. ^ The territory of Umbria extended from the left bank of the Tiber, near its rise, to the Adriatic. ^ The Sabines occupied the left bank of the Tiber from the Umbri