Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume I Part 1.djvu/123

 ALPES. finC di«w pnsal attradoo to the xnoantains in ywtinn. asd Poijiiiiis, who had himadf risited the portiaa of tha Aifane chain between Italy and Gao], was the first to p:f9 an accnrate descripdon of them. 8d]] fey feagimphieal knowledge of their coarse and rxtait vaa rery imperfect: he juadj describes them as czteadii^ fnok the neighbourhood of Mawrilia to tbe head cf the Adriatic gitlf, bat places the sources «f the BhHM in the ndghboorhood of the latter, and wtaien the Alps and that river as running parallel nidi SKh other from NE. to SW. (Polj^ il 14, 15,ii.47.) Stxabo more conecUy desoibes the Alps as tiraiinfc a great cnrve like a bow, the con- csfe sUe of which was turned towards the plains of Itak; the apex of the curve being the territory of the Sakan, while both extremities make a bend isiad, the one to the Ligurian shore near Genoa, the «(ber to the head of the Adriatic. (Strab. pp. 128, Sia) He jnstlj adds that throughout this whole cxfieat thej IbniMBd a oontinQoas diain or ridge, so tkat ibgj might be ahnoet regarded as one moun- tva: but that to the east and north they sent out Tsrioas fldbfaoots and minor ranges in different direc- tkns. (Id. IT. pu 207.) Already previous to the taw of Strabo the complete subjugation of the Alpine tiftei by Aognstna, and the oonatraction of several U^ nads acroas the principal passes of the chains as wefl as tha increased commercial intercourse with the natiaBS on the other side, had begun to render the A^ comparatively familiar to the Romans. But Stnbo himself remarks (p. 71) that their ge<^gra- jbial poeitkn waa still imperfectly known, and the ernes of detail of which he is guilty in describing Ibeni fnQy confirm the statement. Ptolemy, though viitisg at a later period, seems to have been still nan imperfectly acquainted with them, as he re- pieeeats the Mons Aduk (the St, Gothard or Splu- fn) as the point where the chain takes its great Wad fim a northern to an easterly direction, while Hnibo ooereccly- aasigns the territory of the Salassi as tbe point where this change takes phu». As the Bomana became better acquainted with the Alpa, they began to distinguish the different yortiona of the chi^ by various appellations, which enftinQed in nse under the empire, and are still ge- aeraOy adopted by geographers. These distinctive •pdietB are as feUows: 1. Alpcs Mabiiimas f AXwcif vap«(Xioi, or wo- fi^hJuScnm), thelfaritime Alps, was the name given, prabafaiy fimn an eariy period, to that portion of the wUdi ahota immediately upon the Tyrrhenian between IfarMines and Genoa. Their limit was by aome writers at the Portus Monoed or Mo- ely above which rises a lofty headland stood the trophy erected by Augustus to the aubjugation of the Alpine tribes. Auouern.] Strabo however more jadicininly regards the whole range along the coast «f ligBria aa far aa Yada Sahbata {Vado), as be- lacing to the Uaritime Alpe: and this appears to bate been in accordance wi^ the common usage of later time*, aa we find both the Intemelii and In- pmi generally reckoned among the Alpine tribes. (Snah. ppw 201, 202; Liv. zxviii. 46; Tac. HisL a. 12; Vopiae. ProeuL 12.) From this point aa far as the river Varna (For) the mountains descend qailB to the aea-ehore: but from the mouth of the ^wnt they trend to the north, and this continues to be the direction of the main chain as far as the com- i wr em ait of the Pennine Alps. The only moun> taiBS in this part of the range of which the ancient ALPES. 107 names have been preserved to us are the Mokb Cema, in which the Varus had its source (Plin. iii. 4. s. 5), now called la CaUlok; and the Mons Vesulus, now Monte VitOf fixMU which the Padus takes its rise. (Plin. xii. 16. s. 20; Mela, ii.4; Senr.adAen, x.708.) Pliny calls this the most lofty summit of the Alps, which is far from beiz^ correct, but its isolated cha> racter, and proximity to t^e plains of Italy, combined with its really great elevation of 1 1,200 feet above the sea, would readily convey this impression to an unscientific observer. At a later period of the empire we find the Alpes Maritimae constituting a separate provincey with its own Procurator (Qrell. Inscr, 2214, 3331, 5040), but the district thus designated was much more ex- tensive than the limits just stated, as the capital of the jnovinoe was Ebrcidunum (Embrun) in Gaul. (Booking, ad iVofit Dign, pp. 473, 488.) 2. Au>Es CoTTTAE, or CoTTiAKAK, the Cottiau Alps, included the next portion of the chain, from the Mons Vesalus northward, extending apparently to the neighbourhood of the Mont CeniSj though their limit is not clearly defined. They derived their napae from Cottius, an Alpine chieftain, who having condliatod the favour and friendship of Augustus, was left by him in possession of this pcnrtion of the Alps, with the tide of Praefect. His territory, which comprised twelve petty tribes, appears to have ex- tended from Ebrodonnm or Embrun in Gaul, as fiu* as Segusio or Susa in Italy, and indudod the pass of ^ the Mont Gtnjvre, one of the most frequented and important lines of communication between the two countries. (Strab. pp. 179, 204 ; Plin. iiL 20. s. 24 ; Tac. HitL i. 61, iv. 68; Amm. Marc. zv. 10.) The territory of Cottius was united by Nero to the Roman empire, and constituted a separate province under the name of Alpes Cottiae. But after the time of Constantino this appellation was extended so as to comprise the whole of the province or r^on of Italy previously known as Liguria. [Liouria.] (Orell. Inacr, 2156, 3601 ; NotiL Dign. ii. p. 66, and Hocking, ad loc.; P. Diac. ii. 17.) llie principal rivers which have their sources in this part of the Alps are the DRinsNTiA (Durance) on the W. and the Dubia {Dora Riparia) on the £., which is confeunded by Strabo (p. 203) with the river of the same name (now called Dora Battea) that flows through the country of the SalassL 3. Alpbs Graiae ( AXweif Tptuaiy Ptol.) called also Mons Graiub (Tac. Hist, iv. 68), was the name given to the Alps through which lay the pass now known as the Little SL Bernard, The precise ex- tent in which the term was employed cannot be fixed, and probably waa never de&ied by the andents themselves ; but modem geographers generally regard it as comprising the portion of the chain which ex- tends fi^om the Mont Cema to Mont Blanc, The real origin of the appellation is unknown; it is pro- bably derived from some Celtic word, but the Bomans, in later times interpreted it as meaning Grecianf and connected it with the fabulous passage of the Alpa by Hercules on his return fimn Spain. In confirm- ation of this it appears that some ancient altars (probably Celtic monuments) were regarded as having been erected by him upon this occasion, and the mountains themselves are called by some writers Alpes Graegae. (Plin. iii. 20. s. 24 ; Amm. Marc zv. 10. § 9 ; Petron. de B. C, 144—151 ; Nep. Hann, 3.) Livy appears to apply the name of " Cremonis ju- gum**to this part of the Alps (xxi.38), a name which has been supposed to be retained by the CratnofU^ a