Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/203

 LIGURIA. Ihem with tlie Romans, that these leagues were ex- tremely variable and partial. The names of many of the different tribes have been transmitted to us ; but it is often difficult, or impossible, to determine with any degree of certainty the situation or limits of their respective territories. It is probable, as pointed out by Pliny, that these limits themselves varied much at different times (Plin. iii. 5. s. 6), and many of the minor tribes, whose names are mentioned by Livy in the history of the Roman conquest of Liguria, seem to have at a later period disappeared altogether.* The only tribes concerning whom we have any tolerably definite information are: — 1. the Apuani, in the valley of the Macra, and about the Portus Lunae ; but the greater part of the territory which had once belonged to this powerful tribe was not included in Roman Liguria. 2. The FKiNiATEf5, who may be placed with much probabi- lity in the upper valley of the Scultenna, or Panaro, on the N. slope of the Apennines towards JIutina (a district still called Frignano) ; so that they also were excluded from Liguria in the later sense of the term. 3. The Buiniates may perhaps be placed in the valley of the Vara, the most considerable confluent of the Jifagra, called by Ptolemy the Boactes. 4. The Genuater, known to us only from an inscription [Genua], were obviously the inhabitants of Genua and its immediate neighbour- hood. 5. The Veturii, mentioned in the same in- scription, adjoined the Genuates on the W.. and were apparently separated from them by the river Porci- fera, or Polcevera 6. 'J'he more powerful and cele- brated tribe of the Ingatni may be placed with certainty on the coast near Albenga (Albium In- gaunum), though we cannot fix their limits with any precision. 7. The Intkmelii occupied the coast W. of the Ingauni : their chief town was Albium Tntemelium, now Vlntimiglia. 8. The Veuiantii inhabited the country on both sides of the Varus, as their name is evidently retained by the town of Vence, some miles W. of that river ; while Cemene- lium, about .5 miles to the E. of it, also belonged to them. (Plin. iii. 5. s. 7.) Of the tribes N. of the Apennines, or inhabiting the valleys of that range which slope towards the Padus, the most conspicuous were : — 1. The Vagi- ENNi, whose capital was Augusta Vagiennonim, now Bene, between the Stura and the Tanaro, while their confines appear to have extended as far as the Monte Viso and the sources of the Po. 2. The Statielli, whose position is marked by the celebrated watering-place of Aquae Statiellae, now Acqid. 3. The Taukini, whose capital was Augusta Taurinorum, now Turin, and who appear to have occupied the whole country on both sides of the Padus, from the foot of the Cottian Alps to the banks of the Tanarus. 4. The Euburiates (Flor. ii. 3 ; Plin. iii. 5. s. 7) may be placed, according to a local antiquary, in the hills of the Astigiana. (Durandi, Piemonte 6%;n(?a«o, cited by Walckenaer, Geogr. cks Gaules. vol. i. p. 161.) 5. E. of these niust be placed several smaller tribes mentioned by Livy in the history of the Roman wars with Liguria, and of which we know only that they were situated LIGURIA. 187 three Ligurian tribes, cited by Stephanus of Byzan- tium (s. v.) froiu Theophrastus, — the Arbaxani, Eubii, and Ipsicuri. Of these we do not know even whether they dwelt in Italy or on the southern coast of Gaul. on the N. side of the Apennines. These are the Celelates, Cerdiciates, and apparently the llvates also. (Liv. xxxii. 29, 31.) 6. The Epanteru are mentioned also by Livy (xsviii. 46) as a tribe who occupied the mountains above the Ingauni ; but no subsequent mention of them occurs. In addition to these, Livy notices the Garuli, Hercates, and Lapicini, as situated on the S. side of the Apennines (xli. 19), but we Lave no further clue to their position. Pliny also enumerates (iii. .5. s. 7) among the Ligurian tribes on the Italian side of the Alps, the Veneni, Bimbelli, SJagelli, Cas- monates, and Veleiates, of which the last doubtless occupied the country around Veleia, the ruins of which still remain about eighteen miles S. of Placentia. The others are wholly unknown, and the names themselves vary so much in the MSS. as to be of veiy doubtful authority. The coast of Liguria, as already described, is bordered closely throughout its whole extent by the ranges of the Maritime Alps and Apennines, which for the most part rise very abruptly from the sea- shore, in other places leave a narrow strip of fertile territory between their foot and the sea, but nowhere is there anything like a plain. This steej) coast also affords very few natural ports, with the ex- ception of the magnificent bay called the Portus Lunae (now the Gulf of Spezia) near its eastern extremity, which is one of the most spacious and secure harbours in the Mediterranean. The port of Genua also caused it to be frequented from the earliest times as a place of trade (Strab. iv. p. 202), while the Portus Herculis Monoeci (J/o?wco), though small, was considered secure. It is singular that the much more spacious and secure harbour of Villafranca, in the same neighbourhood, is not mentioned by any ancient writer, though noticed in the Maritime Itineraiy under the name of Portus Olivulae. The same Itinerary (pp. 503, 504) notices two small ports, which it places between this last and that of Monaco, under the names of Anao and Avisio, which may probably be placed respectively at S. Ospizio and Eza. [Nicaea.] The Poi.tvs M.URici of the same Itineraiy is still called Porto Muurizio, a small town about two miles W. of Oneglia. The rivers of Liguria are not of much importance. From the proximity of the mountains to the S. coast, the streams which descend from them to the sea are for the most part mere mountain torrents, altdgi-ther diy in summer, though violent and destructive in winter and after heavy rains. Almost the only ex- ceptions are the two rivers which formed the extreme limits of Liguria on the E. and W., the BIacra and the Varus, both of which are large and perennial streams. Next in importance to these is the RuTunA or Roja, which flowed through the country of the Intemrlii. It rises at the foot of the Col di Tenda, in the Maritime Alps, and has a comse of above 36 miles from thence to the sea at VintimigUa. The smaller streams on the S. coast were:— the Paulo (Paglione), which flowed by the walls of Nicaea (Plin. iii. 5. s. 7 ; Mel. ii. 4. § 9) : the Tavia (Itin. Mark. p. 503) still called the Taggia, between S. Remo and Porto Maurizio ; the Mkrula (Plin. I. c), which still retains its name, and falls into the sea between Oneglia and Albenga; the Porcifkp^a of Pliny (Z. c), now called the Polcevera, which flows a few miles to the W. of Genoa ; the Feritor (76.), on the E. of the same city, now tlie Bisagno ; the Entella (Ptol. iii. I. § 3), v/hich is probably
 * The same thing is the case with the names of